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Ireland: Cod Baked with Bacon (March 1, 2008)

In this country that's blessed with some of the best seafood in the world, it's ironic that religion has left many Irish people with a bad taste in their mouths as regards fish. The present older generation remembers a time when fast days were more rigorously observed than they are now, and every Friday was a meatless day whether you liked it or not. These days, when effortless refrigerated transport is a given and even little towns have supermarkets with fresh fish, it's hard to remember that even just fifty years ago there were places in Ireland (especially inland) where the only fish you could get your hands on were either salted or canned.

Even at such times, though, the sweet white flesh of cod has always been an Irish favorite. The reaction here has been bitter at times when cod fishing had to stop for a year or three because the stocks in the waters between here and Iceland had been overfished. These days as much cod comes to Irish shoppers from the south Pacific as from the north Atlantic: fish from New Zealand routinely turn up on the fishmonger's slab along with the traditional Icelandic cod.

While the most popular treatment for cod is probably still the straightforward batter-frying, cod is also a fish that bakes well, and stands up well to other robust flavors such as bacon. This traditional treatment adds onions and potatoes, and makes a substantial and tasty cold-weather lunch or supper dish.

Click on "read more" for the recipe.

Slovenia: Brodet

There are recipes that seem to wander all over the landscape before settling down to become associated with a specific region. Brodet is one of these.

It looks to have started out life on the Italian side of the Adriatic Sea as brodetta, a fairly basic fish soup. But as it traveled around, it started to pick up ingedients: tomatoes here, onions there, some wine vinegar somewhere else. The broth in which the fish was initially simmered became more complex, something more like the court-bouillon of classic French cooking. And then the dish crossed the water to the eastern side of the Adriatic and associated itself with all kinds of different fish: bonito, eel, flounder, dentex, red mullet, sea bream, John Dory. The soup's probably not done with its travels yet: brodet is known as far away as Corfu.

Ideally, brodet should evoke a kind of Adriatic bouillabaise -- the best of the day's catch, simmered fresh in a flavorful stock. Its long residence in the region is suggested by the fact that brodet is often served with that favorite south-central European side dish, polenta. One hint: many brodet recipes suggest that the soup should never be stirred -- this being the best way of keeping the chunks of delicate fish intact. The furthest one may go, in some versions, is to pour fish and stock gently from one pot to the next.

Click "read more" for the recipe.

Germany: Oktoberfest, 2007

The interior of the Loewenbraeu tent this morning. Click for a live image

"It's tapped!" That's what they were shouting in September 2007 in the Theresienwiese, "Queen Therese's Meadow", when the ceremonial first barrel of beer was tapped by the Mayor of the City of Munich, officially opening the 174th Oktoberfest.

Over the course of Oktoberfest 2007, more than ten million liters of beer were drunk by the visitors from all over the world who came to the "Wies'n" to visit the fourteen massive tents housing the Big Six breweries and other food and entertainment facilities, to ride the thrill rides, to eat roast oxen and roast chicken and charcoal-grilled mackerel and soft pretzels and decorated gingerbread, and generally to have a great time.

You may not have been able to get to the tents yourself, but wherever you are, if you're reading this it's easy for you to visit our extensive German recipe collections. Stop in and make a little Oktoberfest for yourself right at home!

You can also find out more about Oktoberfest here at the Oktoberfest.de FAQ page.

(Also: The article from German news magazine Der Spiegel about the big business aspects of Oktoberfest is an interesting read.)

Halibut Soup (Luthusupa)

  • 1 1/2 lb Halibut, cleaned weight
  • 1 1/2 l Water
  • 2 tb Vinegar
  • 2 ts Salt
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 60 g Melted butter
  • 60 g Flour
  • 20 Prunes (or:
  • 3 Sticks rhubarb
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Egg, with 1 t sugar stirred into it

Cut the halibut up into suitable pieces. Bring the water, with the vinegar, salt and bay leaves, to the boil. Add the fish and remove scum when the water comes back the the boil.

Continue simmering the fish until the flesh is "loosened from the bones". Then strain most of the broth into a second cooking pot, leaving just enough with the fish to keep it hot.

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