-
1
Prepare the fish and lay the slices in one or two large, shallow ceramic dishes.
-
2
In a mortar with a pestle, pound the sea salt with the brown sugar, finely grinding the two together.
-
3
Rub the poultice onto both sides of each slice of fish, baptizing the whole with grappa or vodka and strewing the lot with the fennel fronds.
-
4
Cover the dish or dishes tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days, turning the fish once or twice a day.
-
5
To present the fish, remove some of the larger pieces of fennel fronds and lay the cured slices on a large, flat platter, drizzling them with any drops of liquid that might have accumulated during the cure.
-
6
Strew the fish with the fried lemon zest, passing lemon marmalade and a basket of crostini (see below for zest, marmalade, and crostini).
-
7
First weigh the lemons, or have them weighed at the fruit market, as youll be using two-thirds their weight in sugar to make the puckery jam.
-
8
Slice the lemons fairly thin and toss them into a heavy, shallow pan with the prescribed sugar and enough water to barely cover them.
-
9
Over a lively flame, stirring constantly, cook the mixture for a few minutes, then lower the flame and, still stirring, cook for 20 minutes or so, until the water has evaporated and the fruit is softened and trapped in a glossy, thick syrup.
-
10
Let the marmalade cool and then portion it out into 2 or 3 jars with tight-fitting lids to store in the refrigerator.
-
11
The confection will stay nicely for a week to ten days.
-
12
Finely shred the lemon zest.
-
13
In a small saucepan, barely cover the zest with cold water and bring to a simmer.
-
14
Quickly drain the zest and dry on absorbent paper towels.
-
15
Over a lively flame in a small saucepan, warm the olive oil and saute the zest, tossing it about, letting it crisp a bit and take on a good, deep color.
-
16
In a large saute pan over a medium flame, warm the olive oil and brown the bread well on both sides, cooking it until it is quite crisp.
-
17
Let the crostini rest a bit on absorbent paper towels before placing them in a napkin-lined basket.
