Fish and Shellfish

Appears in

Published 2004

About

Whenever I stroll through the seafood stalls at the Rialto market in Venice, I am nearly overwhelmed by the abundance and variety of fish and shellfish. Most of us are lucky if we can find a fishmonger who delivers on freshness and quality, more so on variety. If you do not already have a reliable fishmonger, seek one out. He or she will offer the best available once you are recognized as a savvy shopper.

While not all varieties of Italian fish and shellfish are found away from Italy, many of them are. Spigola is sea bass, pesce spada is sword-fish, tonno is tuna, coda di rospo is monkfish (also known as anglerfish), and storione is sturgeon. For the other fish dishes I have found substitutes. Texture is a crucial element, and I have tried to match toothsomeness as well as taste. For palombo, a type of small shark, the meat of other shark varieties is a good substitute. Halibut, turbot, or snapper will work for pesce San Pietro, known in English as Saint Peter’s fish or John Dory; porgy or snapper can stand in for orata, or sea bream; and sea bass is a good alternative to ombrina, a small, flavorful fish of the Mediterranean. Shrimp, mussels, clams, and squid are at most markets, even if cuttlefish and octopus are not. If you do find them, simply cook them until tender and add them to fish soups and stews. Salt cod, or baccalà, is sold at many markets and Italian grocery stores, as well as at shops that carry Portuguese and Spanish foods.