Cuisine Featured: Greek
The Melting Pot section is where we have placed recipes for cuisines brought to America by the many immigrants to our shores. Over the years these cuisines have been Americanized, i.e., most viewers of our site have probably been exposed to many of these cuisines, either via the dining-out route or, perhaps, directly within our own families due to the multi-ethnic makeup therein. As an example of this multi-ethnicity within a single family, I can cite my own case-- My family consists of the following ethnicities: English, Irish, Scottish, German, Polish and Greek. Is it any wonder then that America is called the Melting Pot?
At the bottom of this page, you will have an opportunity to E-mail us and give us your thoughts on this page. We encourage this. After all, we will be tailoring this "Cooking Around the World" series according to the wishes of our viewers.
6 T vegetable oil 2 one-pound cans solid-pack
1 c finely chopped onions tomatoes and 1 c of their liquid
1 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 c dry white wine
½ c finely chopped celery A 5½- to 6-pound red snapper,
1 green pepper, halved, deribbed, cleaned and scaled but with head
seeded and finely chopped (½ c) and tail left on
½ c thinly sliced carrots 1 tsp salt
2 T finely chopped dill ¼ c strained fresh lemon juice
1 T finely chopped parsley Freshly ground black pepper
1 T butter, softened
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Heat the oil in a heavy 10- to 12-inch enameled or stainless-steel skillet
until a light haze forms above it. Drop in the onions and garlic and,
stirring frequently, cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in
the celery, green pepper, carrots, dill and parsley, and cook for 3 to 5
minutes more, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, 1 c of
tomato liquid and the wine, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the
heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Pour the vegetable sauce
into a flameproof baking dish just large enough to hold the fish comfortably
, and set it aside.Preheat the oven to 400°. Wash the fish under cold running water and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the fish inside and out with the salt, lemon juice and several grindings of black pepper. Lay the fish on top of the vegetable sauce. Cut a piece of wax paper just large enough to fit the baking dish and coat it with the softened butter. Set it buttered side down on top of the fish.
Bake the snapper in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it feels firm when prodded gently with a finger. Transfer the fish to a heated serving platter and place in the turned-off oven to keep warm while you complete the sauce.
Set the flameproof baking dish on top of the stove and bring the sauce to a boil over high heat. Boil briskly, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream. Spoon the sauce over the fish or, if you prefer, serve it separately in a heated bowl or sauceboat. Serves 4 to 6.
