In The Classic Italian Cookbook after each recipe are suggested dishes that would go well with it, something that I feel really stresses the significance of eating the foods contained within the book in a meal together. Through the weekend and up to today, I have been scouring the pages making possible connections between dishes and listing out ones that interest me. In the introduction to her book, Hazan writes that it is good to come up with a general feel or theme you want your meal to have, a collection of cohesive flavors that weave themselves throughout the meal. This could also mean doing a meal that is all seafood or all spicy meats. Doing a seafood meal intrigues me because I do not really have much experience with cooking or for that matter, eating seafood. There are so many great recipes in The Classic Italian Cookbook to play around with and really good seafood available here for me to cook. However, I also do not want to limit myself to just that before I have had time to explore other ideas. So, here are some possible menus for Friday night.
Menu One:
No antipasto, start with Thin Spaghetti with Red Clam Sauce (p. 95), followed by Poached Halibut with Parsley Sauce (p. 203), Hazan states that no vegetables need accompany this fish because the sauce is already so green, so I would then serve Green Bean Salad (p. 397) and cheese to close out the meal.
What I like about this menu is that I feel it really celebrates the flavors of spring. The parsley sauce that would go along with the fish is packed with bright flavors: loads of parsley, capers, and lemon juice and would be so good. The green bean salad is basically just green beans and lemon juice and would be a delightful simple green ending note after the craziness of the parsley sauce. The spaghetti with red clam sauce would be garlicy and fishy, with both clams and anchovy paste in the sauce. While it does have a lot of flavor, the collection of ingredients is relatively small and is just a simple tomato sauce with anchovy and clam in it. Both the first course and salad are flavorful yet simple and would be perfect bookends to the more complex second course.
Menu Two:
Maybe some spicy salami for my antipasto, then Bucatini with Pancetta, Tomatoes, and Hot Pepper (p. 100), a second course of either Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Garlic (p. 296) or Pan Roasted Mackerel with Rosemary and Garlic (p. 205), I would serve no vegetables if I made the fish but with the chicken I would serve Sautéed Peas with Prosciutto (p. 369), I would end the meal with Mixed Cooked Vegetable Salad (p. 400) made up of potatoes, onions, green beans, and beats.
This menu is a little more down to earth than the first one. The spicy, acidic pasta to start the meal would be a great way to kick off, plus I just really want to make this pasta. The boldness of the tomatoes, pancetta, and hot peppers would be perfectly balanced by the earthy more fragrant flavor of rosemary that would perfectly compliment both a chicken and mackerel. The somewhat mildness of these proteins would be a great departure from the first course. The peas with prosciutto would be a wonderful gentle accompaniment to the chicken and a nod to the season. Following it again with a, earthy beat and potato cooked salad would round out the meal and end on a comforting subtle note. I would definitely want to follow this with a sharper cheese to circle back to the first course. My only worry with this meal is that it is too wintery and too filling. I would maybe like to switch out the salad at the end to something lighter and more fresh or bold in its flavor. However, the taste of rosemary and fresh peas is undeniably springy and the spicy first course would be so much fun.
Edit:
Upon further consideration I think I would swap out the cooked vegetable salad with a simple salad of fresh greens with Hazan’s vinaigrette.
Menu Three:
No antipasto, first course would be Trenette with Potatoes and Pesto (p. 135) or Bread and Vegetable Salad with Anchovies (p. 395), followed by Cold Sautéed Trout in Orange Marinade (p.210), I would serve Green Bean Salad (p. 397) alongside this in place of a vegetable dish if I did not make the salad for my first course, and finish with Asparagus Salad (p. 396).
I feel a little iffy about this menu. I think the issue is that I cannot really grasp the flavors of the trout in orange marinade. Hazan writes that this fish has a delicate citrusy flavor and pairs it with a basily dish in her menu suggestions at the end of the recipe. However, I really cannot grasp how it would all fit together. I was compelled to create this menu because I was curious about the fish as well as the pasta with pesto and potatoes but I am still not sure if they would all fit together. I know that the pesto, green beans, and asparagus would all flow really well but the fish is throwing me off. The citrus in the green bean salad would pair well with it but I am still not sure. The Bread and Vegetable Salad with Anchovies is definitely something I want to make and would fit well with the chosen second course just for the reason that they are both fishy. I think the freshness of both would make for a really nice, light meal.
********************************
While these three are the only menus I have put together so far, there are still dishes that I am interested in cooking for this meal and am by no means done brainstorming. These are just the three that I have been able to fit together in a way that makes some sort of sense.
Be First to Comment