Cooking With “Crazy Water!”
It’s summer, and that means I want to cook lighter, fresher but with tons of flavor – so my “52 In 22” cooking challenge heads to the Mediterranean for a delicious dish with some “crazy water!”
Week #31 of my year long “52 In 22” cooking challenge takes to the water!
This recipe is from this terrific memoir, written by Chef David Shalleck with Erol Munuz. The book is Shalleck’s account of being a private Chef on a luxury yacht for a summer!
Here are the next ten cookbooks in my year long “52 In 22” cooking challenge – I will explain why one comes in the form of a bottle of wine later!
Now, let’s head to the Mediterranean for a delicious summer dish!
The Simple Yet Delicious “Fish In Crazy Water” Recipe!
This is an easy dish to prepare, but it presents beautifully and tastes even better!
A bit of fun trivia: according to the New York Times, some think “crazy” refers to the broth’s spiciness, while others think the name comes from the fact that Provencal fishermen made the dish with seawater!
Here are your ingredients:
Skinless Halibut or Sea Bass fillets
Sea salt
Black Pepper
5 large Garlic cloves
2 tbl olive oil
1-3/4 pound ripe Tomatoes, seeded and diced
White wine – to splash in the pan and drink while cooking!
Italian Parsley
Smash your garlic with a flat knife and cook in the olive oil…as they release their flavor, salt and pepper your halibut on both sides and add the fish to the pan, making sure there is olive oil under it…
I used Halibut, which is nice and meaty, and takes a few minutes longer to cook, which allows your crazy water to form, because after 5 minutes you add your chopped tomatoes to the pan:
The fish will continue to cook as the tomatoes begin to melt – I turned it over and also tossed some chopped parsley in as well, and I also added a cup of wine – because I wanted a bit more sauce for my dish…
As the fish poaches in the wine and tomatoes, sip a glass of wine – you have time! You see, those tomatoes continue to melt down, and I moved the fish around to ensure it didn’t stick, and did a soft stir of the tomatoes as well…after 15 minutes the fish is done!
Lay some sauce and tomatoes on the bottom of your plate and lay the fish on top, with some fresh parsley as well…that’s it!
It’s an easy, delicious dish with a terrific name!
I also made some roasted baby potatoes and broccoli rabe – which gave the final dish this look:
I love this dish: the flavor of the fish is fresh and vibrant, the water as “crazy” as you decide – if you want the sauce thicker, don’t add the wine, or a lesser amount!
I shared this recipe before, when I wrote this review for my “Wednesday Bookmobile” series:
This book is a fascinating “below deck” look at life as a Gourmet Chef – on a mega-yacht!
You can see my entire review here:
Of course, this is just the latest in my series of “52 In 22” cooking challenges, where I have cooked around the world, back in time, and taken on my dreaded foe Eggplant as well:
My wife Alex had the incredible Chef Priyanka Naik on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and it inspired me to make a dish using Eggplant!
This “Tiffin” recipe was delicious! It’s the art of making dishes to enjoy later – outside, at work, wherever!
This “Tiffin” recipe was delicious! It’s the art of making dishes to enjoy later – outside, at work, wherever!
Click here to see how I did:
Since the summer is the time for lighter flavors, why not try this recipe?
This refreshing “Banh xeo” pancake has fresh ingredients and a deliciously light sauce!
Click here for the recipe:
You can also use the summer to tackle a more time consuming recipe as well:
This “sous vide” Lobster dish is delicious and refreshing – and it took me three days to make it!
Click here for the recipe!
If you love Mediterranean food, why not make your own Pan Bagnat?
This traditional Provencal sandwich is fun to make a delicious to eat!
Here is the recipe:
Chef Patricia Wells offered that recipe, and she has more than a dozen terrific cookbooks!
I also cooked from the legendary Chef / Author / TV Host Anthony Bourdain:
This is his bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, and you can see the recipe by clicking here:
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Categories: 52 In 22!, Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Chef memoirs, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Fine Dining, Food, Food Pictures, Food Porn, Food Travel, Food Writing, Recipes, Travel, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
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Hi John, this looks and sounds delicious and the steps are quite simple too.
Robbie, it’s the perfect blend of three ingredients. The ratio is scary but worth it!