'Sea pizzaiola' – marinated weever fish in pizzaiola sauce

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Pizzaiola is a type of Italian pasta sauce hailing from Naples. Roberto Petza's fish pizzaiola recipe has all the key flavours you would expect – tangy tomato sauce, fragrant basil and garlic – with a salty seafood twist. Meaty fillets of greater weever fish are marinated with fresh herbs and pan-fried before being added to the dish with salty capers, olives and a finishing shot of cheese foam.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Weever fish

  • greater weever fish fillets
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme, chopped
  • 1 tsp marjoram, chopped
  • 1 tsp capers, chopped
  • 1 tsp black olives, chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil

Pizzaiola sauce

  • 500g of tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
  • 50g of basil
  • 30ml of white wine vinegar
  • 12g of sugar
  • 50ml of water
  • extra virgin olive oil

Cheese foam

  • 600g of ewe's cheese, such as Casu axedu
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt

To serve

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Siphon bottle or cream whipper
  • Charges 3

Method

1
For the cheese foam, break up the cheese and add to a blender with a little olive oil and salt to season. Blend until completely smooth, then transfer to a siphon with 3 charges and reserve in the fridge until ready to serve
  • 600g of ewe's cheese, such as Casu axedu
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
2
Cut each weever fillets in half to create 4 portions. Place in a shallow dish and cover with the fresh herbs, garlic and a good drizzle of olive oil. Turn the fish fillets to ensure they are evenly coated, then transfer to the fridge to marinate in the fridge until ready to cook
  • greater weever fish fillets
  • 1 tsp marjoram, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme, chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil
3
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Place the vinegar, sugar and water in a small pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes to create a syrup and set aside
  • 30ml of white wine vinegar
  • 12g of sugar
  • 50ml of water
4
Add a drizzle of olive oil to a deep frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and sauté for a few minutes before stirring through the basil leaves to soften. Stir through the chopped tomatoes and cook until they have broken down into a thickened sauce. Add the syrup and stir well for a few more minutes
  • 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
  • 50g of basil
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 500g of tomatoes, roughly chopped
5
Remove from the heat and transfer the tomato sauce to a blender. Blitz until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan and keep warm over a low heat
6
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the marinated weever portions. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until just cooked through, adding the chopped capers and olives to the pan for the last few minutes to heat through
  • 1 tsp capers, chopped
  • 1 tsp black olives, chopped
7
Divide the tomato sauce between serving bowls and place the weever portions in the centre, scattering around the capers and olives from the pan. Cover with a squirt of the cheese foam, a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with a few edible flowers and fresh basil leaves

From carpentry to cooking, Roberto Petza's culinary prowess has finally found a home in a remote village on the island of Sardinia.

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