Slutty Spaghetti

This was the first dish I ever cooked for my partner. Yes, as the title suggests I thought I was being very clever. Little did I know, my partner hates anchovy and I was to find this out several months after the fact.
This particular pasta sauce is known in Italian as “puttanesca”, and translates as “in the style of the whore”. These Italian whores must be pretty classy. All the Aussie whores I know (and I know plenty) wouldn’t know what their kitchen looked like, let alone the inside of a food store. Lets just say, cooking food is not a priority in their lives…..
Anyway, I must have done something right the night I cooked this for my beloved, because he is still here, by my side. And I would also like to mention that he doesn’t mind anchovies every now and then. Well actually, I just disguise them. Out of sight, out of mind.

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
16 marinated anchovy fillets
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (from the marinated anchovy)
1 dried red chili
400g tin Italian tomatoes, chopped and mashed with a fork
1 tsp dried greek oregano
1 tbsp herb infused red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
12 black olives, cut into slithers
1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed of their preserving salt
Freshly chopped parsley

Method
Place the garlic, oil, and anchovy into a saucepan.and, over a low heat, cook for about 10 minutes until the anchovy has melted into a paste and emulsified into the oil. Do not allow the garlic to brown.
Add the chili and oregano and fry for a few seconds.
Add the tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Cook over a low heat, until well reduced (about 15 minutes).
Finish with the olives and capers.
The flavours of this sauce are strong, almost aggressive (like a street whore, I guess).
Toss through 200g of freshly boiled al dente spaghetti. You may need to add a few drops of extra virgin olive oil, to help lubricate the pasta.
Lots of fresh parsley added at the last minute will lift the flavour. And please, no cheese with this dish-it doesn’t work.
Serves 2 (food) sluts.

Note- I have stipulated my marinated anchovy in the list of ingredients. However plain anchovy in oil are fine to use in this sauce.

Anchovy, Caper and Sage Marinated Scallops

I am only going to write this once (or I will try). I HATE SUMMER. It is almost 40c as I write this, and there is nothing glamorous about it (shorts, sweat, body ordour, greasy skin, bad hair) People who enjoy these suffocating weather conditions are freaks. (I am sorry if I have offended, but the heat makes me bitchy)
On a positive note, summery food is the only thing that will keep me from slashing my wrists and these scallops are delicious. They only require a couple of minutes of cooking, so if you are precious like moi, you wont get too hot in the kitchen…

Ingredients
300g scallops, cleaned weight (with the coral still attached)
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 tsp of salt preserved capers, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped sage (fresh is best)
Lots of fresh black pepper
1 tbsp of olive oil
30g butter
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method
Combine the anchovy, capers and sage with the olive oil.
Toss with scallops.
Grind over a generous amount of black pepper and toss again.
Cover and refrigerate.
When you are ready to cook, heat the butter in a wide pan over a high heat.
Add the scallops and sear for about 1 minute, or until lightly golden. Turn them over.
Another minute (or less) and they will be ready.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
This goes well with borlotti beans, artichokes and rocket leaves tossed with tarragon vinegar and olive oil.

Enough for 2.