LICATA

Food / Lifestyle

[licata]

Pan Seared Sea Bass with Butter Herb Sauce 

For The Fish:

- Two filets of sea bass - Olive Oil, 2 table spoons - Butter, 1 tablespoon  - Semolina Flour, just enough for coating the fish - Sea Salt, two large pinches - White or Black Pepper, a few good cracks of the mill

The Process: First you’ll want to make sure the fish is very dry. Make sure the skins side is especially dry. Then in a bowl combine the dry ingredients and coat the fish well. In a heavy pan melt the butter add then add the olive oil and bring the pan to a med-high heat. When the oil is warm ad the fish on the skin side first. Cook the fish until the skin is crisp - about 3-4 minutes (for smaller filets adjust the time down). Flip the fish carefully and cook on the other side for 3 minutes.  Transfer the fish to a plate. 

Using the same pan you used for the fish... 

Turn the heat to low...

For The Sauce: 

- 2-3 Cloves of Garlic, very thinly sliced or minced if you must - Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons - White Wine, Dry: 2-3 second pour of the bottle into the pan - 1/4 cup+ - Thyme,4 good sprigs, leaves removed - 1 tablespoon  - Sage, 6 good sprigs, leaves removed - 1 tablespoon  - Hot Pepper Flakes, a small pinch  - Lemon, 1/2 large lemon, squeezed - 2 tablespoons+  - Capers, 1 1/2 table spoons, a little extra if you like it extra - Butter, 2 tablespoons, could be more, could also be less. - Sea Salt, pinch to taste  - White or Black Pepper, to taste

The Process:  Pour the white wine into the pan to deglaze it. Removing all the bits from cooking the fish. Keep cooking until the wine is almost evaporated.  Add one tablespoon of butter to the skillet to melt, then add the minced garlic, fresh herbs, pepper flakes (optional) and capers. Saute for about 40 seconds or so. Then turn off the burner and stir in the lemon and the last tablespoon+ of butter. Once mixed well, pour over the fish on a large plater. Do a pinch of finishing salt, a few cracks of pepper and serve. 

Enjoy!

[licata]

Licata’s Sunday Sauce

It’s even better later in the week.

- 2 28oz cans of D.O.P. San Marzano Tomatoes (yes, D.O.P.) - 5 Cloves of Garlic, smashed  - 3/4 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 tbls of Hot Pepper Flakes - 2 Pinches of Sea Salt (nice pinches)  - Fresh cracked black pepper to taste 

In a heavy pot over medium heat add olive oil and garlic. carefully bring the garlic to a nice golden brown - if the garlic burns it will infuse a bitter taste into the oil. Reduce the heat if the garlic starts to cook too fast. Once the garlic is golden brown add in the hot pepper flakes. Simmer for 2 minutes. 

While you are initially cooking the garlic, place the tomatoes into a large bowl and crush them with your hands. Remove any stems from the tomatoes. Once the hot pepper flakes are have cooked for 2 minutes add in the tomatoes. 

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours+. Remember to check back on the sauce and reduce the heat further if the sauce isn’t at a soft simmer. After about 15-20 minutes add your two healthy pinches of sea salt and a few cracks of black pepper. 

After two hours taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

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[licata]

Butternut Squash Ravioli 

With Brown Butter, Sage, and Parmesan Cheese 

Full recipe coming soon!

The Details:

- ‘00′ Flour - Semolina Flour - 2 Small Butternut Squash (or 1 large)   - 5 Fresh Farm Eggs - Sea Salt - Olive Oil - 6 Sprigs of Fresh Sage  - 1 Clove Garlic  - 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter - Vegetable or Chicken Stock - Black Pepper - 1 Lemon (for zest) - optional 

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[licata]

Creamy Corn Pasta With Mint

The Details:

- 1 LB Penne Pasta  - Sea Salt - 3 tbsp Olive Oil - 2 Cloves Garlic - 1/4 Cup Plain Water - 3-4 (about 2 cups) Ears of Corn, shucked and kernels shaved off - 1 tsp Black Pepper - Red Pepper Flakes - 3 tbsps Breadcrumbs  - 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter  - Parmesan Cheese  - Fresh Mint Leaves, torn, additional for garnish - 3/4 Lemon Juiced - 1/4 Cup Pasta Water

Do The Damn Thing:

Salt pasta water, bring to a boil. While water is boiling, in a large heavy pan add warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to med-low and simmer until golden. Add half the corn kernels, pinch of salt and water - increase heat to medium. Simmer corn for 4-5 minutes. (add pasta to the boiling water now.) When the corn is soft transfer to a blender and pulse until mixed - add a little bit of water if it’s too thick to pour. Set corn puree aside. In the same large heavy pan add the butter and melt over med-high heat, add remaining corn kernels and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the corn puree and mix together well. Reduce the heat to medium, add the pasta and some of the salted pasta water, and the lemon juice, toss to coat the pasta. add additional pasta water if the sauce get’s too thick. Stir in red pepper flakes, pinch of sea salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and mint. fold the pasta into the sauce to coat well.  

Plate, sprinkle with additional breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and mint. Serve and enjoy. 

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[licata]

One Of My Favorite Cigars 

They Never Disappoint 

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[licata]

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken

Recipe Coming Soon!

- Lemon - Salt - Pepper - Olive Oil - Rosemary  - Thyme

[licata]

Sardines On Focaccia

Perfect for lunch, a late-night snack, or just about any time really.

What you’ll need:

- Very good Focaccia, or other good Italian bread will do too. - French or Italian Salted Butter (the good stuff) - Canned Sardines (in Extra Vergin Olive Oil), make sure they are sustainably caught. - Smoked Maldon Sea Salt. - Cracked White Pepper, Black Pepper works too. - Extra Virgin Olive Oil to drizzle on top. Make it: 

Toast the bread, either in the broiler or in your toaster. Open the sardine can. Once toast is ready place on a plate and spread a good amount of salted butter across the bread. Layer on top of the butter the sardine filets - two per piece of bread always does the trick for me. Apply a pinch of the smoked sea salt on top of the pieces of toast with sardines. Be sure the prince and grind the smoked salt as you're applying it so that the salt is a bit finer. Crack the pepper over the toast pieces and drizzle olive oil over all of it. 

That’s it. 

Enjoy.

Follow along @josephlicata_ 

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[licata]

The Best Kale Salad, With Crispy Pecan Dressing and Cherries

This will be your new favorite salad. 

What you’ll need:

- 1 Bunch of Kale, stems removed - 1 1/4 Cups Pecans, toasted - 2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (Optional)  - 5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil  - 1/2 Lemon, Juiced - Sea Salt - Pepper

Make it:

In the oven toast pecans at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes - don’t let them get too dark, just a nice toast.

Meanwhile remove stems from the kale. Fold all the kale leaves together and thinly slice the kale. When the entire bunch is sliced, hold the bunch together and rotate 180 to slice the bunch again. You want to have very small and finely sliced kale pieces at the end. I prefer this method to randomly chopping the bunch of kale, it makes the presentation more uniformed. Plus it lets you practice those knife skills. Place the kale in a large bowl, with 3 tablespoons (roughly) of olive oil, two pinches of sea salt and the lemon juice. Squeeze and mix together with your hands for 1 minute to allow the kale to soften.  By now the pecans should be toasted and cool. Place the pecans in a food processor with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, pine nuts and a pinch of salt. Blend until the pecans are at a medium to fine chop. Then pour the pecan mix into the bowl with the kale. Top with dried cherries. Before serving mix the salad throughly at the table.

Follow @josephlicata_ for more.

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[licata]

Roasted Carrots, Good With Just About Anything

Recipe, Coming Soon!

To be the first to get the recipe, follow me on Instagram @josephlicata_

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[licata]

Spaghetti, Broccoli Rabe, Prawns and Clams

Perfect for summer nights, or when you’re missing summer nights.

This was the pasta of summer 2020 in the Licata household. Let me know what you think when you try it.

What you’ll need:

- Spaghetti or Linguine, 1lbs - Broccoli Rabe, 1 bunch - Prawns, 15-20 - Clams, 15-20 - Garlic, 3 Cloves - Extra Virgine Olive Oil, 4 tablespoons  - Lemon for juice and zest, 1 juiced lemon, 1/2 lemon for zest - Sea Salt - Pepper - Butter

Make it:

Prep shrimp and clams as needed.

Bring a large pot of slightly salted (sea salt) water to a boil for the pasta. Cook pasta until a little firmer than al dente. You’ll be cooking the pasta a bit more at the end.

In a heavy large fry pan add olive oil, garlic and chopped broccoli rabe, along with a squeeze of lemon and some pasta water. Cook on medium for 3-5 minutes.   

Once the broccoli rabe is cooked reduce the heat to low and add the pasta to the pan. Add a nob of butter and fold the pasta to work the butter throughout - coating the pasta with the olive oil, garlic, broccoli rabe and butter. once the pasta is coated (20 seconds) add the shrimp and clams,, cover the pan and warm through until the clams are open and the shrimp are warmed through. 

Turn off the heat. Crack a few cracks of pepper over the pan, add a pinch of sea salt, an addition squeeze of lemon and plate.

Once plated zest lemon over the pasta for a burst of flavor and a garnish. 

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[licata]

Pasta with Sardines 

Just wait until you taste this.

What you’ll need:

- Spaghetti Pasta, 3/4 lb - Sardines, 1 can (4 small filets) - more if desired - Anchovies, 4 filets - Extra Virgin Olive Oil 3 tablespoons  - Red Pepper Flakes, 1 teaspoon  - Bread Crumbs (Gluten Free), 3 large pinches, plus more for garnish  - Garlic, 2 cloves  - Dry White Wine, 1/4 cup - Lemon Juice, 1/2 lemon  - Lemon Zest, 1/2 lemon or to your liking - Currents (Raisons are fine), 1/3 cup - Pine Nuts, 1/3 cup - Parmesan Cheese (optional) 

Make it:

Bring salted water to a boil and cook pasta for about 6-7 minutes, just until the pasta is nearly al dente. 

In a separate heavy fry pan add the olive oil and garlic. simmer the garlic on low -medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and slightly golden. Add the anchovies and red pepper flakes and continue to cook on low-medium heat until the anchovies melt into the oil.  Turn up the heat on the pan, add the white wine (or Rose) ] and bring to a simmer to reduce the liquid until the pan is nearly dry. Then stir in the pine nuts and currents/raisons, reduce the heat back to low. Add in the filets of sardines. Don’t stir too much while the sardines are cooking, they will break apart to early. Cook for 1 minute or so. 

Transfer the pasta to the pan and gently toss the pasta to coat. At this point help the sardines break apart a bit. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the breadcrumbs. Add a little bit of pasta water if the pasta is too dry.

Give it one last toss and transfer pasta to individual bowls. Garnish with a little more breadcrumbs, a little parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Serve. 

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