Daily Entry of Diary of a Tuscan Chef

Tonight’s Dish a perfect seafood and starch combination.

Rombo con Crosta di Patate

Turbot with Potato Crust

Serves 4

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

4 (1/3 lb) turbot fillets, skin intact. (Turbot is a type of flounder; mahimahi or sole can also be used.)

6 cups spinach, well washed and stemmed

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 Idaho potato

2 tablespoons flour

3 beefsteak tomatoes

1 lemon, sliced thin

In a blender, puree 1/2 cup of the basil with 1/2 cup of the olive oil, and salt and pepper. Salt and pepper the flesh side of the fish fillets, then coat them with the basil mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Place the spinach , with the water still clinging to the leaves, in a pot large enough to hold it. Cook over medium heat, covered, until the spinach is just wilted, about 7 minutes. Drain it well in a colander, pressing out the excess water with the back of a spoon.

Put 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and the garlic in a medium saute pan and heat. When the garlic begins to color, in about 5 minutes, add the spinach and cook it briefly, about 2 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Keep the spinach warm.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Peel the potato. If you don’t have an electric slicer, it is probably easier to cut the potato in half lengthwise. Trim each half into a rectangle, then slice them crosswise. Coat the slices in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to keep them from oxidizing, or, keep them in a bowl of ice water. Arrange the potato slices on top of the basil mixture, so that they overlap and cover the fish fillets. If you’ve kept the potato in ice water, you may want to drizzle a bit of olive oil on top to help the slices stick together while cooking.

Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a saute pan and bring it to the smoking point. Dust the tops of the fillets with flour to keep them from sticking. Place the fillets in the pan, potato side down. When the potato side is brown and crispy, flip the fillets, transfer them to an ovenproof dish and bake, skin side down. The fillets will be ready in 5 to 8 minutes, when the skin is crispy.

While the turbot is cooking, chop the tomatoes and remaining basil. Toss to form a salad. Add the salt and pepper to taste, and then drizzle the salad with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the fish from the oven, remove the skin, and serve the fillets on beds of spinach, surrounded by the tomato-basil salad. Garnish the dish with lemon slices.