Meatless Good Friday? 5 options for getting by with seafood

This bivalve mollusc is so typical of our coasts and our stalls that often, when we think of cooking with seafood, we simply forget about it. Big mistake, because the truth is that with a few kilos of clams we can do wonders. Of course, because you can always taste them raw and accompanied by a few drops of lemon, but they can also be eaten in their matico version, in cream or even in parmesan. Or you can also try them mixed with pasta, as shown below.

Spaghetti and clams (for four people)

—1 packet of spaghetti

—1 kilo of clams (the smallest you can find)

-3 cloves of garlic

—¼ piece of goat pepper

—2 glasses of white wine

—Salt, pepper and olive oil

—Freshly chopped parsley

In a large skillet, briefly sauté the garlic in the olive oil, a pinch of salt then pour over the clams, which have been very well washed beforehand. Once everything is hot, add the white wine, cover and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and discard clams that have not opened. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, and once it’s ready, reserve some cooking water. Drain and return to pot with clams and garlic, adding a few tablespoons of pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, a generous amount of chopped parsley and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Stir well and serve immediately.

Another very common delicacy of our sea are the mussels – which some now call mussels -, which are generally used throughout the year to be eaten with rice or simply cooked in water for a few minutes and then eaten cold. with lemon or .green sauce. In addition, mussels are usually part of substantial preparations, such as chicken marinara, paellas and various broths. Unlike other shellfish, even the most cunning of the house eat them without hesitation thanks to their tender flesh and flavor. Thinking of a family lunch on Good Friday, I highlight this favorite mussels and fries recipe of the moment… or mussels and friesas they say there.

Mussels and fries (for four people)

—1 kilo of medium mussels

—4 large potatoes

—½ sliced ​​onion

—2 glasses of white wine

—1 clean stalk of celery

—Interfine salt and olive oil

In a very large pot, heat a little olive oil and brown the onion with a pinch of salt and the whole stalk of celery. Then add the mussels (very clean), stir a little then bathe them in the white wine. Cover the pan and wait about three minutes. Finally, uncover and remove any mussels that haven’t been opened, then bring the pot with the mussels to the table plus a bowl with freshly made fries. How are potatoes made? They are peeled and cut into sticks, dried with a clean tea towel and fried in plenty of olive oil (ask if you prefer), until they start to brown. Then they are removed from the oil, passed through paper towel and seasoned with entrefine salt. The idea is to eat mussels and dip the fries in their broth.

If what you are looking for is to complicate yourself as little as possible, but without stopping consuming seafood products, a very good option is to get canned squid, which are commercially available in different formats, and ranging from a few simple octopus-style pieces to very rich stuffed squid, very useful for cooking something quick but at the same time appetizing. And that is precisely what is presented below.

Basmati rice with stuffed calamari (for four people)

—1 cup basmati rice

—2 jars of stuffed calamari

—¼ bunch of freshly chopped parsley

—Salt, pepper and olive oil

Prepare the basmati rice according to the instructions on its packaging. Once ready, set aside. Then, open the jars of squid and take them out one by one, then set them aside on a plate. Empty the remaining liquid from each jar into a bowl, add a little olive oil and stir until the mixture is lightly emulsified. Finally, serve a plate by serving a portion of rice on each plate and put some calamari on each (preheated in the microwave for 30 seconds). Also brush each plate with a little of the prepared sauce and finish it off with a little chopped parsley on top.

If the temperatures are far from being frankly cold in Santiago, little by little the arrival of autumn begins to be felt in the capital. With this, the desire to consume good broths also begins to appear, like a carbonada. And since we’re thinking of marine menus for Good Friday, this recipe fits the bill perfectly.

Carbonada de piures (4 people)

—1 kg of clean eggs

-1 onion cut into small cubes

—½ bell pepper, finely diced

-1 finely minced garlic clove

—1 carrot, peeled and cut into medium cubes

—4 potatoes, peeled and cut into medium cubes

—1 cup pumpkin cut into medium cubes

—1 cup shelled corn

—1 cup chopped green beans

—1 liter of chicken broth

—¼ bunch cilantro

—Salt, cumin, oregano and olive oil

In a large pot, sauté the onion with the garlic, pepper and half the pears, plus a pinch of salt. Once the mixture starts to get soft, also add a little oregano and cumin along with the potatoes, carrot and squash, and submerge everything with the chicken broth. Cover and cook for twenty minutes. Then add the green beans and corn. Continue cooking over medium heat until all the vegetables are cooked. Finally, add the other half of the piures, rectify the salt if necessary, turn off the heat and let the pan rest covered for a few minutes. Serve with plenty of freshly chopped cilantro on top of each plate.

This seaweed, so typical of our coasts and which should be essential in national cuisines, can save us in many ways when we do not want to eat meat, whether on Good Friday or any other day. Given its versatility, it is possible to prepare a number of dishes using cochayuyo and, in many cases, as an effective substitute for beef. I am thinking of pine empanadas, potato pancakes or charquicans, the ones that go very well with cochayuyo.

If it’s hot this Friday, it doesn’t hurt to make the typical cochayuyo salad (ceviche, as some now call it) with red onion and cilantro. And if you want it even richer, it’s worth adding avocado cubes. Either way, for each of these recipes, you need to be clear on how to process the cochayuyo before cooking it. That is, the process you need after buying it.

How is? Very simple. Soak the cochayuyo in cold water with a few drops of vinegar, ideally overnight or at least four hours. Then rinse well and put in a saucepan with cold water and boil for twenty minutes. Finally, it is left to cool to room temperature then rinsed with cold water and it is ready to use in any recipe.

*Prices for products in this item are current as of April 12, 2022. Values ​​and availability may change.