Friendly Fish with Caramelized Garlic

As a diver, I love to see fish underwater. As a gourmand, I love to see fish on ice or a plate. It's not that hard to reconcile the 2 desires if you're responsible about it. Overfishing is an environmental and economic issue - if there are no fish, the environment suffers, as do the fishermen. Also, we suffer as we are no longer able to eat the fish we want. I've noticed that divers love to eat seafood when they are above water. Many of them don't realize that the meager amount of fish they saw underwater are not sufficient to sustain the restaurant industry on land. I've been to diving spots in the Mediterranean where all the restaurant fish has been imported from Asia. This makes me think that something is wrong.

Of course, it'd be difficult to give up eating fish all together. If you're not aware of it, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) examines the source of fish, how it is caught, and in the case of farmed fish, how it is farmed. If it is harvested in a sustainable manner, they give their seal of approval, which makes buying fish much easier. I found MSC hake in the local supermarket, frozen in individual filets. Hake is an ocean whitefish that has a firm texture. Perfect for pan frying with garlic. This recipe is simple, quick and perfect for 1 person. Serve with a salad.


Hake with Caramelized Garlic
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbsp good olive oil
1 hake fillet
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 slice lemon
salt & pepper to taste

Slice garlic thinly. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, it should not cook right away. Allow the garlic to brown for 60-90 seconds, stirring if necessary. Remove garlic from the pan, leaving the oil. Drain garlic on paper towels. Add hake to pan, cooking for 2 minutes on each side. Place cooked hake on a plate, top with garlic and parsley. Add salt & pepper to taste, and serve with lemon.

Looks Like Beef

Although my freezer requires a Tetris champion to touch anything without causing an avalanche, I bought frozen calamari. I know that fresh is better - I am not about to dispute this - but in the seemingly landlocked area I live in, fresh squid is not often a fiscally viable option. Thankfully, I am also aware that freezer space is incredibly precious real estate, so I am reducing the calamari, starting today. Had I known what I would cook for dinner, I would have bought the ingredients for a spectacular calamari ripini, taking me back to my diving week on the Italian island of Elba.

Squid are beautiful creatures, they posses majestic motion and, if they are not scared & swim away, look beautiful underwater - flourescent stripes down the sides, curious eyes, flapping wings. I had a wonderful dive in which I had barely gotten myself under the surface & I saw a squid, motionless, much more serene than myself or my dive buddies. Nonetheless, 4 of their kin are up for dinner tonight.

Calamari en Vino Rosso


3 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
200g squid, cut into bite-sized pieces, scored on one side
300ml questionable red wine (the kind that's good enough to buy, not good enough to drink)
100ml tomato puree
1 tsp herbs de provence
1/4 preserved lemon
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
salt & pepper

Sautee garlic in olive oil. Add squid, turn heat down to low. Add wine, tomato paste & herbs. Allow to simmer for 1 hour. Add lemon, season to taste. Add parsley right before serving, either on a bed of couscous or with crusty bread. It'll take on the colour of the wine & will look like beef. It will, however, be soft & succulent after having stewed for an hour.

Close your eyes, listen to the wave of the sea rolling in, and, if desired, imagine that squid, waiting for you to join his underwater world.