Secondi

Meals and Seafood

Appears in
Hazan Family Favorites
Hazan Family Favorites

By Giuliano Hazan

Published 2012

  • About

Nonno Fin was my grandfather on my mother’s side; his name was actually Giuseppe, but everyone called him Fin. He passed away when I was only six or seven. Though I do not remember much from that time, I do have a few very clear memories of Nonno Fin. I remember how he had a little seat that fit onto the handlebars of his bicycle and how he would take me around Cesenatico, proudly showing off his grandson. I loved those outings and eagerly looked forward to them.

Cesenatico was, and is still is, a beautiful beach town and fishing village. It has a major wholesale fish auction house that operates as a reverse auction: For each lot, the price starts high and goes down until someone places a bid. Buyers must decide whether to wait to bid — and risk losing the lot of fish — or bid sooner at a higher price to be sure to get it. Bidding requires a great deal of experience, and seats at the auction house are passed on from generation to generation.