COOKING TIPS

We all have cooking tips and techniques learnt through personal experience or because someone else was kind enough to tell us. The idea behind this thread is to share those tips and techniques that make our life easier and our Italian and Mediterranean cooking very special.Nothing  better than an example to illustrate:My family enjoys having fish at least two or three times throughout the week; however, they like simple preparations without sauces or frying in batter. A great way to keep them happy is to cook "al cartoccio" which simply means to bake between two layers of alfoil. And here is the tip: I use a rectangular stailess steel baking tray (the elongated shape is ideal for a whole fish) and I put a tiny amount of water on it. Then I cover the tray with a layer of alfoil and the water will make the alfoil stick to the bottom, giving us a good solid base for the preparation.I generally use a whole fish which has been butterflied open by the fishmonger. I always ask for the backbone not to be removed completely as this helps to keep the juices. The preparation is very simple: just get slices of lemon, onion and tomato, some herbs, lemon juice, salt, pepper and (another tip) a tablespoon of a good mayonnaise and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. You can add capers, olives, artichoke hearts, thin slices of prosciutto..... whatever you want.....Close the fish loosely and cover it with another layer of alfoil, securing the edges to make a tight pouch.Bake in a moderate oven for some 20 or 30 minutes depending on the size of the fish.Simple, healthy and delicious.Enjoy!