Tales And Recipes From A LI 'Fisherman's Wife'
Stephanie Villani shares stories and recipes from the sea in her new cookbook, The Fisherman’s Wife: Sustainable Recipes and Salty Stories. Stephanie and her family are commercial fishers in Mattituck, on the North Fork of Long Island. They have caught wild, local fish and sold them at Greenmarkets throughout the city for the past 28 years. Her book includes nearly 100 recipes, fish handling tips and the answers to the most common seafood questions and concerns.
Stephanie Villani appears at at the Union Square Greenmarket every Wednesday (Union Square West at 16th St.).
Her company, Blue Moon Fish, also appears at the Tribeca Greenmarket on Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Greenwich St. at Chambers St.) and at the Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn on Saturdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.Â
Melissa Clark guest hosted this segment of "The Leonard Lopate Show."
Check out two recipes from The Fisherman's Wife below!
Broiled Spanish Mackerel with Mustard Sauce
Serves 2
1 pound Spanish mackerel (2 or 3 fillets)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (or any other fresh herb; parsley, basil, tarragon, or oregano)
Lemon wedges
In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, mustard, vinegar, and salt.
Set your broiler on high. Lightly oil a baking sheet or a heavy cast iron or ovenproof skillet. Place the mackerel fillets skin side down.
Brush the fillets liberally with the mustard sauce. Sprinkle with the chives (or other herbs).
Broil without turning for 4 to 6 minutes, until fillets are sizzling. Remove from broiler, squeeze lemon over the fillets, and serve.
Alex’s Manhattan Clam Chowder
Serves 8
This is a Manhattan clam chowder recipe by an honest-to-goodness Manhattanite. Alex has made this so many times he knows the recipe by heart. In the fall and winter he makes an enormous pot and puts a couple of quarts in the freezer.
5 dozen large clams, opened and chopped in bite-size pieces, with their juice
6 pieces bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, diced
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
6 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold or white), skin on, cut in 1-inch chunks
4 large celery stalks, with leaves, chopped
32 ounces canned whole plum tomatoes
1 pound frozen corn kernels
2 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried)
½ tablespoon black pepper
5 bay leaves
1 to 1 ½ quarts clam juice or fish stock, or a combination (be sure to strain clam juice from the just-opened clams)
In large stockpot sauté bacon and onions over medium-low heat until soft. Add all ingredients except chopped clams to pot. Bring to a boil; turn heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.
Add clams and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.
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