4 Mediterranean fish recipes

Few countries in the world are as expert or experienced at cooking fish and seafood as those near the Mediterranean Sea, so when we decided to offer you a seafood menu, it made sense for us to borrow from the fabulous cuisines of Spain, Portugal, Greece and southern France. Whet your appetite and enjoy these Mediterranean fish recipes!

Healthy green vegetables
Bitter Greens In Greece, horta refers to wild and cultivated leafy greens that are integral to the Greek diet. Bitter greens are preferred, and, in Canada, favourite horta include dandelion and mustard greens, curly endive, escarole and chicory, as well as milder, sweeter greens such as Swiss chard, spinach, beet greens, kale and collards. The most common cooking methods are simple and delicious. Serve with lemon wedges.
- Boil greens in salted water until tender; drain. Transfer to serving dish; douse with good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
- To serve cold, chill boiled greens under cold water; drain well. Transfer to serving dish. Douse with olive oil and, if desired, sprinkle with sea salt to taste.
- Or blanch greens in boiling salted water until tender-crisp; drain. In skillet, heat a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat; add minced garlic and sauté until just beginning to colour. Add greens (whole or chopped) and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until greens are tender. Transfer to serving dish. Sautéed horta is also often made without garlic.

Wine notes
Why not go all the way with the theme of this dinner and serve a different wine with each course, one that hails from the country that inspired it?

The Portuguese-inspired grilled sardines will welcome a light, cheerful wine, such as the refreshing young Portuguese Vinho Verde, which can accompany almost any seafood. A drier, more full-bodied and aromatic choice would be a white wine from the Dão region.

In Spain the more-traditional French rule of serving white wines with seafood is often not observed, and favourite red wines, such as Rioja, are enjoyed with fish and seafood dishes. Select a lighter-bodied Rioja Crianza (with less barrel aging than Reserva or Gran Reserva designations). The rich fruit of the Tempranillo grape, from which Rioja is primarily made, melds beautifully with the rich onion and smoky paprika flavours of the lobster appetizer.

For the Greek Fisherman's Stew, I would take an unclassical turn and return to a white wine. Greece is home to many fine red and white wines, most made from indigenous grapes. Unfortunately, many fine Greek wines are not easily available on our shores. See what your local wine store has in stock and ask their advice. If available, I would recommend a white from the Aegean island of Santorini, in whose volcanic soil grows the Assyrtiko grape. It produces a wine with good mineral and apricot flavours, a long finish and great body - a white that could certainly follow a red with panache.

Farther east on the island of Rhodes, the Athiri grape produces white wine with clean citruslike acidity and rich peachy-almond flavour, which certainly would also hit the spot.