During the holiday season, there’s nothing better than sharing a meal with the family. This year, South Tampa families are letting us into their homes and sharing some of their favorite holiday recipes with our readers.
The Gonzalez Family
Inspired by his time training under Michelin-star chefs in New Orleans, Catering by the Family’s chef Steven Gonzalez Jr. has started introducing new flavors to the Spanish and Italian dishes traditionally served at his family’s holiday table. That means Cabernet-braised short ribs instead of a whole pig roasted in mojo and sour orange, or snapper en papillote as the main fish course for Christmas Eve dinner. Some of the Gonzalez family holiday classics have made their way into the catering business; Steven Gonzalez Sr. says their lemon chicken is a hit at weddings.
Snapper en Papillote
1 whole snapper — scaled and cleaned
1 lb. Andouille sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalks, diced
2 lemons, juiced and sliced thinly
Olive oil
Italian breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
Handful of Parmesan cheese
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 oz. white wine — chardonnay
Salt and pepper
1 lb. solid butter, unsalted
Lay fish onto parchment paper. Season gracefully with salt, pepper and olive oil. Small dice Andouille, onions, bell peppers and celery, and minced garlic. Mix eggs, Italian breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and reserve. Render Andouille in large saucepan (about 10 minutes), then sauté vegetables until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Once all is cooked, stuff with thyme and stuffing and, in the parchment paper, lay on top of sliced lemons. Once fish is stuffed, roll stuffed fish with parchment paper until enclosed. Top with sliced pieces of butter, pouring the white wine on top of the fish. Wrap tightly and bake in hot oven at 350 degrees for about 40 to 50 minutes until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Lemon Chicken
Serves 4
4 chicken breasts
1 quart Vigo Italian breadcrumbs
1 pint seasoned flour
5 large farm-raised eggs
Lemon juice
2 lemons
Minced garlic
Touch of granulated sugar
Touch of salt
Whole butter
Dash of Italian seasoning
Season your flour, whip your eggs and reserve.Bread your chicken — flour, egg wash and Italian breadcrumbs — pan fry until golden brown. Cook your chicken to internal temperature of 165 degrees. Bring all your other ingredients to a boil and shut off once butter has dissolved — do not burn the butter. Garnish with sliced lemons and fresh Italian parsley.
Cabernet-Braised Short Ribs
4 Angus beef short ribs
1 quart seasoned flour
Olive oil
Whole unsalted butter
Fresh rosemary
1 yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
5 minced garlic cloves
1 bottle good red Cabernet
Veal or beef stock
Salt and black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Season flour generously. Dredge short ribs while a large braising pan is getting hot with oil. Sear the beef ribs on all sides until golden brown, letting the fat render in the pan. Take out fat and reserve for later use. Once all ribs have been browned, add butter, garlic, rosemary and diced vegetables to saucepan. Cook until translucent (10-12 minutes). Once vegetables are caramelized, deglaze pan with the bottle of Cabernet. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Incorporate veal or beef stock with rosemary and bring to a boil. Taste and season with salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Once seasoned to taste, put the ribs back in the pan, making sure they are covered with the braising liquid. If not, add more stock. Cover with parchment paper and foil braised in a hot oven at 300 degrees for four hours until the meat almost falls off the bones. Once meat has come off the bones, you are ready to serve. To make a pan sauce, take braising liquid, strain the vegetables, put back in the sauce pot and reduce, adding a cornstarch slurry or dark roux to thicken. Top with fresh picked rosemary and Italian parsley.
The Messina Family
As part of the Feast of the Seven Fishes (celebrated by Italian families on Christmas Eve), Andrea Messina makes the old Tampa-style crab chilau. This spicy red sauce with crab is served over rice or pasta, and the recipe dates back to the city’s earliest immigrants. “Whether you were Cuban, Spanish or Italian, you had a version of this dish,” Messina says. She and her family own Joe and Son’s Olive Oils in Palma Ceia and use their own green chili olive oil instead of hot sauce in the chilau recipe. “The smell just evokes memories,” says Andrea’s mother, Marilyn.
Crab Chilau
1 large onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
⅓ cup Joe & Son’s Baklouti Green Chili Olive Oil
2 (28-ounce) cans of whole tomatoes, pureed in a blender
½ cup Joe & Son’s Espresso Balsamic Vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 pound fresh crabmeat
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, warm green chili olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, Espresso Balsamic and bay leaves. Season again with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Fold in the crab meat and allow to cook again for another 10 minutes. Serve over pasta.
Sciacciata di Giri (Sicilian Foccacia with Spinach and Garlic)
2 tubes of classic pizza crust (like Pillsbury, or two batches of your favorite pizza dough)
6 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup ultra premium robust extra virgin olive oil
1 10 oz. bag of fresh baby spinach
¾ cup of grated Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the spinach. Toss to coat. Add the Romano cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss and set aside. Roll out one tube of pizza crust onto a cookie sheet. Top with spinach mixture. Spread the other roll of pizza dough over the top of the spinach, making sure to crimp the edges. Pierce a few times with a fork to create vent holes for steam. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with additional Romano cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve.
