Garlic Infused Sea Bass Fish (Aromë Hudhër Peshk Levreku)

Garlic Infused Sea Bass Fish (Aromë Hudhër Peshk Levreku)

Albanian Fish (Peshk) is a popular dish especially in towns and restaurants near the sea and lakes. All around Shkoder lake we have lots of fish restaurants with fresh lake fish being served in a variety of ways. When we cook at home we buy the fish freshly caught, larger fish is sliced into chunks and cooked with vegetables, whereas smaller fish is cooked in fish marinades and served whole.

Sea bass is one of my favorite fish, it can be cooked so many ways but the I believe the best way is always in the oven!

2 people

5 minutes

Ingredients:

-                 2 Large Sea Bass Fish (Prepped for Cooking)

-                 4 Tbsp Olive Oil

-                 4 Tbsp Garlic Oil or 2 Garlic Gloves (crushed)

-                 2 Tbsp Parsley (Dried or Chopped)

-                 2 Tbsp Juice of a Lemon

-                 Salt and pepper

Directions:

Take the fish out of the fridge, rinse with cold water before cooking.

Take 2 sheets of foil the length of the fish plus 4 inches extra each end and lay them out on a flat surface.

In a bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice pepper, salt and parsley together and brush over the middle of the foil where the fish will sit.

Place one fish on each foil in the middle and brush the mix over the top and inside of the fish.

Bring the two long edge up to join and fold together, bring the edge up and scrunch together so the seal is tight but forming a lose dome around each fish.

Place in a baking dish and into the oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.

Switch the oven off but leave the fish inside to continue to steam in the foil dome for another 30 minutes.

Serve the sea bass in the foil with side salads and breads.

Easy Croatian Shrimp (Skampi Na Buzara)

Easy Croatian Shrimp (Skampi Na Buzara)

This fast-and-easy Croatian shrimp recipe is flavored with garlic, wine, tomatoes, and a special spice blend. Also known as škampi na buzara, which literally translates to "shrimp stew," this dish can be on the table in about 40 minutes.

Buzara-style cooking simply means that some type of shellfish or crustacean is cooked with olive oil, wine, garlic, breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs. Dagnje na Buzaru, or stewed mussels, is another example of this style of cooking.

This shrimp recipe is just one of the examples of the rich seafood offerings along the Dalmatian coast that is influenced by neighboring Italy. Meals often begin with some type of pasta or risotto and then it's on to fresh fish and seafood. Fish is usually grilled with local olive oil, garlic, and lemon, and seafood often finds its way into soups and stews as in this recipe. 

Skampi na buzara can be prepared with head-on shrimp, tail-on shrimp, or peeled shrimp. But leaving the shells on when stewing makes for a delicious sauce just perfect for dipping with crusty bread.

• Total: 40 mins
• Prep: 5 mins
• Cook: 35 mins
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 pounds head-on large shrimp (or 1 1/2 pounds tail-on, peeled large shrimp)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon garlic (minced, or to taste)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 (14-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes (undrained and broken up)
• 1 teaspoon Vegeta seasoning (see note below)
• 2 cups dry white wine
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. De-vein, rinse, and pat dry the head-on or tail-on shrimp and set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the oil followed by the breadcrumbs and stir. Cook, uncovered, just until the breadcrumbs turn golden and smell toasty.
4. Add the garlic, parsley, tomatoes, and Vegeta seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
5. Add the wine, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp, reduce the heat, and cover with the lid. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through and the juices have thickened. Don't overcook or the shrimp will become rubbery.
6. Remove the shrimp from the skillet with tongs and place in a large bowl. Pour the cooking juices into a gravy boat or similar container.
7. Place everything on the table, letting guests peel the shrimp at their place settings and pour their own sauce. Serve with polenta, cornbread, or crusty bread that can be dipped into the flavorful sauce.

Note: Vegeta is an Eastern European vegetable-spice mix created by the Podravka company in Croatia. It's a common ingredient in many of the area's recipes and adds a nice salty, savory flavor. If you are avoiding salt and MSG, try a homemade version of store-bought Vegeta.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
758	Calories
31g	Fat
16g	Carbs
82g	Protein

See Full Nutritional Guidelines

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Serbian-Croatian Salt Cod With Potatoes (Bakalar s Krumpirom)

Serbian-Croatian Salt Cod With Potatoes (Bakalar s Krumpirom)

This recipe for salt cod with potatoes or bakalar s krumpirom is popular with Serbians and Croatians, especially for fasting times like Lent, Advent, and other religious occasions. Since the salt cod has to be soaked for two days to remove the excess salt before cooking, plan accordingly. Sliced or chopped onion can be sautéed with the garlic if desired.

• Total: 110 mins
• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 90 mins
• Soak: 48 hrs
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds cod (salted)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Optional: salt (to taste)
• Optional: pepper (to taste)
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 slices lemon (rind removed)
• 1 pound potatoes
• 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• Optional: 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• Garnish: 1/2 cup parsley (chopped)

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Soak 2 pounds salt cod in lukewarm water for 2 days, changing the water twice a day. (After soaking, do not remove the skin and bones.)
3. Place cod in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt to taste, pepper to taste, 1 bay leaf, and 8 lemon slices with rind removed. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour or until tender.
4. Take the cod out of the water and remove the skin and bones, and discard but reserve the water. Break the cod into pieces.
5. In a separate saucepan, cook the 1 pound potatoes with the skin on. When tender, but not mushy, remove potatoes and peel as soon as cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch slices or quarters and set aside.
6. Put what remains of the 1/2 cup olive oil, 4 finely chopped cloves of garlic, 1 large finely chopped onion (if using), and pepper to taste in a large skillet.
7. Sauté garlic until soft and then add the fish, potatoes, and as much reserved cooking water as necessary to achieve a consistency that is not too dry. Cook over low heat until heated throughout and flavors have married, about 15 minutes. Add more oil, if necessary.
8. Garnish with 1/2 cup chopped parsley. It can be eaten warm or at room temperature.
9. Serve and enjoy.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
419	Calories
19g	Fat
27g	Carbs
35g	Protein

See Full Nutritional Guidelines

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Easy Croatian Mussels (Dagnje na Buzaru)

Easy Croatian Mussels (Dagnje na Buzaru)

This Croatian Mussels recipe is known as dagnje na buzaru or školjke na buzaru. "Buzara" in Croatian literally means "stew," but buzara-style cooking simply means that some type of shellfish or crustacean is cooked with olive oil, wine, garlic, breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs. At most, this easy recipe will take 40 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Mussels na buzaru is similar to classic French steamed mussels known as moules marinières in French. While mussels are seasonal (the old rule was to eat mussels in cool months and only in those months that have an "R" in their spelling), current wisdom dictates that "farmed" mussels are safe to eat year-round.

Fish, shellfish, crustacean, and bivalve recipes are popular along the Dalmatian Coast where there are a strong Italian influence and diverse seafood offerings from the Adriatic Sea.

• Total: 40 mins
• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 20 mins
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 pounds mussels (1 pound per person)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
• 8 cloves garlic (chopped, or to taste)
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• Dash coarse sea salt
• Dash black pepper
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Scrub and debeard 4 pounds mussels. The "beard" is the hairy thing hanging from one side of the shell. Pull it off with a side-to-side motion.
3. In a large, hot skillet, add de-bearded mussels, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, and 8 cloves (more or less to taste) chopped garlic. Let this simmer undisturbed until mussels just begin to open. Stir, lower heat, and add 1 1/4 cups dry white wine, coarse sea salt, and black pepper to taste.
4. Let all the shells open, stirring occasionally. If, by the end of cooking, any shells do not open, discard them. Turn the heat back to high to finish the cooking quickly without toughening the mussel meat.
5. Mix 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs into the broth, but you'll want to leave some liquid present. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Tip

• Be careful not to over-salt because mussels from the sea are naturally salty.