FAKE FISH – Recipe by Piero Benigni – This is a simple and very good dish, popular in Italy both as a starter and as a course, often accompanied with pickles, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, soft cheeses and various salads.
Ingredients for 4 persons
- 180 gtuna in oil (6-7 oz drained weight)
- 350 gpotatoes (12-14 oz)
- 1 spoonpickled capers (1/2 oz, pickled)
- q.s.pickled peppers
- q.s.pickles (1/2 oz, assorted)
- 2 spoonsmayonnaise (2 oz)
- 2anchovies in oil (1/2 oz)
- q.s.dry white wine
Tools for preparing the fake fish
- Pot
- Potato Masher
- Colander
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Spoon
- Blender / Mixer
- Bowl
Recipe by Piero Benigni
Boil the potatoes. Put the tuna in a colander, let it drain then pour half a glass of dry white wine over it, who will wash away the oil. Let it stay so until potatoes are ready. Chop capers and anchovies. Mash potatoes in a bowl, than add the tuna, the chopped capers and anchovies, the mayonnaise. Stir well and mix with a hand blender until you have a creamy mixture.
If you have a fish-shaped mold, line it with food film and fill with the dough. If you don’t, you can shape the fish on a plate by hand, using a spoon and your fantasy. Level the surface with a wet spoon and move on to decoration, giving free rein to your imagination. You can use pickles, tomato slices, capers, olives and so on. In the one in the photos, the scales were made with the tip of a teaspoon, the eye with half an olive and other parts with various pickles.
If you plan not to eat the fake fish right away, it is best to place it in the fridge for a few hours. In this time it will solidify and the various flavours will blend for a better taste. Protect the surface with a sheet of food film or aluminum.
It will last 2 days in the fridge. You can freeze it, and will last 3 mounts in the freezer.
Boil the potatoes. Put the tuna in a colander, let it drain then pour half a glass of dry white wine over it, who will wash away the oil. Let it stay so until potatoes are ready. Chop capers and anchovies. Mash potatoes in a bowl, than add the tuna, the chopped capers and anchovies, the mayonnaise. Stir well and mix with a hand blender until you have a creamy mixture.
If you have a fish-shaped mold, line it with food film and fill with the dough. If you don’t, you can shape the fish on a plate by hand, using a spoon and your fantasy. Level the surface with a wet spoon and move on to decoration, giving free rein to your imagination. You can use pickles, tomato slices, capers, olives and so on. In the one in the photos, the scales were made with the tip of a teaspoon, the eye with half an olive and other parts with various pickles.
If you plan not to eat the fake fish right away, it is best to place it in the fridge for a few hours. In this time it will solidify and the various flavours will blend for a better taste. Protect the surface with a sheet of food film or aluminum.
It will last 2 days in the fridge. You can freeze it, and will last 3 mounts in the freezer.
Washing tuna fish with dry white wine
Working with the hand blender