10 fresh and tasty summer fish recipes!
In the summer months, different types of fish and shellfish arrive on the stalls of the market and fishmongers. You have to take advantage of it, to cook dishes based on very fresh fish. More or less expensive and quick to prepare, fish and shellfish dishes are a guaranteed success at the table. To be devoured during a lunch break in the office, or in the company of our loved ones, as an aperitif, during a delicious lunch or dinner.
So, let's enjoy a good plate of fish, let our imagination run wild ... and we can almost feel a light sea breeze caressing our face and stomach!
1. Cubes of tuna with sesame
Tapas: 10 recipes for all tastes. Olé!
A "salad with a Japanese flavor, whose protagonist is the bluefin tuna. Quick to prepare and delicious, it is a" perfect idea for a refined summer dinner.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 400 g of bluefin tuna - 50 g of sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon of Japanese soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of liquid honey
- wasabi
- slices of fresh ginger
- 1 black radish
- 1 avocado
Preparation:
Prepare the accompanying sauce: in a small cup, mix the sesame oil, soy sauce and honey.
Put the sesame seeds in a deep dish. Gently dry the tuna fillets, remove any bones and remove all the skin. Cut the tuna into 2 cm cubes and pass them in the sesame seeds.
Spread the tuna cubes on a serving dish: in the center, place the cup with the sauce, a few wasabi nuts and ginger slices on the sides.
Peel the black radish, grate it coarsely and arrange it around the tuna cubes. Cut the avocado into pieces and add to the salad. Serve immediately.
Similarly, cubes of salmon, salmon trout, sea bass or mackerel can be prepared. In this way, a delicious Japanese dish will be made.
One more trick: it is preferable not to buy tuna when its color is too light and bright red, because it may have been treated with carbon monoxide. Better to choose a darker, less inviting, but healthier fillet.
2. Hake burger
Putting fish in a sandwich is a great idea to make it inviting for the little ones. Hake lends itself well to this preparation, thanks to its lean white meat and delicate flavor. Pecorino and spices will take care of it to light up its flavor!
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 600 g of hake fillet
- 40 g of aged pecorino
- 60 g of flour
- 10 g of spice mix for fish
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
Preparation:
First, remove all bones and waste from the hake fillets. Finely chop them with a knife holding them on a cutting board.
Pour the mince into a bowl, mix it with the spice mixture. Grate the cheese, add it to the pulp and mix well.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts. Mash each part with your hands to form 4 flattened meatballs. Dip the burgers in flour.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, cook the burgers for about 2 minutes per side. Pour 2 tablespoons of hot water into the pan, lower the heat, put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes.
Then, pour the lemon juice into the pan, let it thicken for 2 minutes without a lid and over medium heat.
Finally, put the burgers in a bun, adding some seasoning to taste (salad, onion slices, raw vegetables ...).
An extra trick: We know, for some people, fish and cheese just don't go together. If you are part of this school of thought, also eliminate the pecorino from the ingredients, but add a little salt to rebalance the flavor of your burgers.
If you love salmon, why not try some puff pastries with salmon and zucchini for an aperitif or a tasty and perfect second course for summer days?
3. Sea bass fillets in olive and cherry tomato sauce
Rich in omega 3 and easily digestible, sea bass lends itself to various types of cooking: baked, grilled, baked, and can become an excellent filling for fresh pasta. We offer you to cook it in a pan, with a handful of olives and cherry tomatoes. The result is a light and quick second course, for lovers of simple flavors.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 10-12 pachino tomatoes
- 4 sea bass fillets
- basil leaves
- green olives - extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Clean well then wash the sea bass fillets and dry them by tanning them a little with a cloth.
Wash the tomatoes under running water. Drain then dry and cut each tomato in two. Put them in a bowl, add some olive oil, salt and the chopped basil.
In a bowl, put the green olives, a tablespoon of cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with a little salt. Mix well then transfer to the mixer and blend until smooth.
Heat a non-stick pan, put the sea bass fillets and cook for about ten minutes.
Put the olive sauce on serving plates, arrange the fish fillets on top.
An extra trick: serve this tasty main course accompanied by a fresh salad of cherry tomatoes and rocket.
4. Crostini with raw prawns and basil oil
A refined and delicious version of the classic aperitif canapes, based on raw prawns and basil scented oil. Original and tasty, these croutons will conquer even the most demanding palates.
Ingrediants (for 6 people):
- 12 very fresh prawns
- 6 slices of cereal bread with seeds
- evo oil - basil
- salt and pepper
- light soy sauce
Preparation:
Start cleaning the shrimp. Remove the head and intestines (the black fillet) by gently pulling it out. Now engrave them on the back lengthwise and open them in half without separating the two parts. Place them on absorbent paper to dry and keep aside in the refrigerator.
Emulsify the basil with oil, salt, pepper and a drop of soy sauce with an immersion blender, taste and adjust the quantities. Be careful not to overdo it with basil, it must not be a pesto, but a fragrant oil!
Toast the slices of bread, cut off the edges. Make rectangles out of it. Place a shrimp on each slice and season with the fragrant oil.
An extra trick: For a cheaper version of these croutons, replace the shrimp with smoked salmon.
5. Cod meatballs
Fish balls are easy to make and very versatile. They are a nutritious second dish, if accompanied by a mixed salad or boiled potatoes. If you prepare them in a mini version, they can also become an original finger food, if served on a buffet or for an aperitif.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 800 g of cod fillets
- 1 egg
- 1 piece of stale bread
- onions, dill, gherkins in oil
Preparation:
Cut a few onions and a few gherkins into thin slices. Mix the fish fillets with the onions, the egg and the stale bread in the mixer. Add the dill and the sliced gherkins to the mixture. With this dough, make meatballs that you can prepare in a pan or in the oven.
An extra trick: the meatball is, par excellence, the recipe in which it is allowed to put all the ingredients you want. Free rein to the imagination, using aromatic herbs and spices ... it's time to discover new flavors! Perfect with a potato "salad".
6. Millefeuille of octopus and potatoes
Octopus salad with potatoes is a timeless classic. When served in this slightly elaborate version, it becomes a refined dish perfect for a summer dinner!
Ingrediants (for 2 people):
- 200 g of octopus carpaccio
- 4 potatoes
- olives
- capers
- a bunch of parsley
- two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Preparation:
Put a pan full of water on the heat, bring it to a boil and cook the potatoes, draining them when they are well cooked.
Let the potatoes cool slightly, then peel and cut them into cubes, then place them in a bowl.
Add the pitted olives, capers, a little salt and black pepper. Add a handful of chopped fresh parsley.
Mix well to make the potatoes flavor.
Compose the millefeuille: arrange a slice of octopus carpaccio on a plate, then a layer of a mixture of potatoes, olives, capers and parsley.
Add a second layer of octopus carpaccio and one of potatoes.
Continue to alternate the two main ingredients until they are completely exhausted, finishing the millefeuille with a layer of potatoes.
Garnish the dish with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and chopped fresh parsley.
Serve and enjoy.
An extra trick: add a few drops of balsamic vinegar cream on your octopus millefeuille, to give it an even more intense flavor. Warning: it is preferable that the potatoes are not overcooked, to allow the millefeuille to stand up.
7. Sole nuggets with almonds
Sole is a fish with a particularly light and digestible meat. We all ate it as children, cooked with parsley and lemon, because it is one of the most suitable fish for feeding children. This recipe will allow you to serve it in a different and original version, rich in spices, aromatic herbs and ... flavor!
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 600 g of sole fillets
- 100 ml of milk
- 45 g of flour
- 20 g of breadcrumbs
- 150 g of almonds
- 100 g of mayonnaise
- 1 sprig of dill
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- ½ clove of garlic
- 3 g of paprika
- Salt to taste.
Preparation:
First of all, clean the sole fillets from any bones and soak them in milk for a few minutes.
Then proceed with the preparation of the breading: put the almonds in the mixer together with the flour and breadcrumbs and operate the blades.
Prepare the sauce by blending the mayonnaise together with the peeled garlic, thyme, rosemary needles and a pinch of salt.
Then drain the fish, chop it coarsely and pass it in the breading, exerting a slight pressure to make the latter stick well.
Dip in boiling oil and fry for a few minutes turning it on both sides to have a uniform golden color.
Remove from the oil, drain slightly then lay the nuggets on kitchen paper to absorb excess grease.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and paprika.
Arrange the sole nuggets on a serving dish and serve hot accompanied by the herb mayonnaise sauce.
An extra trick: for a lighter version of this recipe, replace the mayonnaise with natural low-fat yogurt
8. Arancini of Venere rice and fish
A mix of mullet, scampi and prawns to give a pleasant marine flavor to these original black arancini. Prepared in a mini version, they can be an original idea for a summer aperitif.
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 300 g of black rice
- 1 shallot
- 50 ml of white wine
- Extravirgin olive oil
- fish soup
- 2 tablespoons of rice starch
- 200g of mullet
- 200 g of scampi
- 200g of prawns 200g
- 150 g of peas
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 eggs
- black sesame seeds
- fry oil
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Start by cleaning the fish (the heads and shells are used for the fish stock).
Gently remove the head, the legs and remove the carapace: use these parts to prepare the fish stock.
Remove the intestine of the prawns and the central black fillet with a toothpick. Then clean the prawns too, removing the head and cutting the carapace with scissors to remove the pulp; remove the intestine and chop both the prawns and the prawns.
Finally, clean the mullets by opening them to remove the entrails, carve the mullets in the upper part by inserting the blade of the knife near the head and fillet them. Then chop the fillets obtained.
Proceed to cook the Venere rice: chop the shallot and pour it into a large pan with a drizzle of oil. Fry over a low heat avoiding to burn the shallot, then add the Venere rice.
Toast the rice, pour in the white wine and gradually add the fish stock to help cook the rice (it is possible to use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking of this type of rice which is quite long or buy precooked Venere rice ).Towards the end of cooking, add a little rice starch to make the arancini more compact.
Meanwhile, in another pan, pour plenty of oil and brown a clove of garlic. Then pour in the previously chopped fish, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a few minutes; then remove the garlic and turn off the heat.
Allow the preparations to cool and once cold form the arancini: moisten your hands with a little oil, then flatten a little rice on the palm of your hand and make a bowl in the center. Pour the filling into the rice and close it to form a ball.
To give the classic shape of the arancino or to form the ball, then squeeze one part to form a tip. Beat the eggs and prepare the black sesame seeds; then pass the arancini first in the beaten egg then in the black sesame covering carefully all the surface.
Dip one or two arancini at a time in plenty of seed oil. Serve your arancini hot or warm.
An extra trick: as an alternative to black rice, you can use brown rice or red rice.
9. Fried anchovies
Always considered a "poor" dish, anchovies are actually very nutritious, because they are rich in omega3 and calcium. But this blue fish has another great advantage: it is really cheap. In this fried version, then, it is truly irresistible. So what are you waiting for, run to buy anchovies!
Ingrediants (for 4 people):
- 16 large anchovies
- 50 g of breadcrumbs
- 50 g of grated pecorino
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 sprig of parsley
- 1 sprig of basil
- 1 glass of white wine
- flour q. b.
- extra virgin olive oil
- Origan
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt, a sprinkling of pepper and a handful of grated pecorino.
Add the oregano, chopped basil and parsley, the minced garlic.
Pour in the olive oil and mix the mixture.
Then clean the anchovies thoroughly: remove the heads, open them in half and remove the bones and the entrails. Wash them carefully and drain them; then place them in a bowl with the white wine, so as to completely cover them.
Leave them to flavor for about ten minutes.
After about ten minutes, drain the anchovies, arrange them on a plate and season a pinch of salt.
Take the anchovies and cover the inside with the breadcrumbs you seasoned earlier; then roll them up on themselves and then close them with a toothpick.
At this point pass the anchovies stuffed in flour and fry them in hot oil for about three minutes, turning them on both sides. Serve hot.
An extra trick: try mixing the breadcrumbs with a few tablespoons of crumbled hazelnuts, for an even more crunchy taste.
10. Sea bream with ginger
Sea bream is a prized fish, whose meat has a particularly delicious and delicate flavor. Ginger, with its fresh and pungent taste, will enhance the flavor of the fish without altering it. The balance of flavors will be perfect.
Ingrediants (for 2 people):
- 2 sea bream
- 1/2 glass of sunflower oil
- 15 peppercorns
- 100 g of fresh ginger
- 1 small head of garlic
- 3 fresh onions with the stem
- 1/2 glass of soy sauce
Cut the ginger into thin slices then into sticks two to three millimeters thick. Finely chop the fresh onions and stems into small pieces of about 1 cm. Cut the garlic head into thin slices.
Put the oil in a saucepan, add the peppercorns. When the oil is hot, brown the ginger sticks then add the garlic, onion and stems. Sauté everything for about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce.
Arrange the sea bream in dishes suitable for steam cooking. Pour the sauce over the fish.
Steam for 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately. Recommended drink: dry white wine
An extra trick: do you know how to recognize a sea bream? Between the eyes, this fish has a distinctive golden stripe.
