Access Hollywood Live: Chef Victor Casanova’s Italian Holiday Feast

Chef Victor Casanova paid a visit to Access Hollywood Live to share his recipes for an Italian holiday feast!

Zuppa di Pesce
(A feast of seven fish)

Ingredients:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
dayboat scallops, 2 each u-10’s
shrimp, 2 each 16-20’s
prince edward island mussels, cleaned & debearded 4 each
manilla clams, 4 each
squid, tubes only sliced into ½ inch rings
maine lobster tails
black cod, 2oz. fillet skin on
1 T garlic, finely minced
1/4 c white wine, suave
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/2 c basic tomato sauce, see recipe below
1 T toasted pine nuts
1 T currants
2 T caperberries
3 T sardinian fregola, cooked al dente
2 T scallions, sliced thin on a sharp bias

Method:
1. In a medium sized sauce pot add extra virgin olive oil and adjust to medium heat.
2. Add scallops and sear until well caramelized then reserve.
3. Add shrimp, mussels, clams, squid, lobster and cod.
4. Then pull off of the heat and add minced garlic until aromatic then add white wine and red pepper flakes.
5. Reduce by half, then add basic tomato sauce, pine nuts, currants, caperberries and fregola.
6. Finish with scallions and season to taste.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 c spanish onions, finely minced
1/2 garlic, finely minced
1 c carrots, finely minced
2 T fresh thyme
2 T crushed red pepper
4 28 oz. cans of san marazano whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
salt & pepper, to taste

Method:
1. In a medium sized sauce pan add extra virgin olive oil and turn heat to medium.
2. Add onions, garlic and carrots then cook until lightly golden.
3. Add thyme and crushed red pepper.
4. Add san marzano tomatoes and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until well developed and somewhat chunky.
5. Remove from heat and reserve.

(recipe courtesy of Chef Vic Casanova)