Wild fish are far less dependable than any other type of protein – they are seasonal and elusive and the last truly wild food that is a consistent part of our diet. As such, they remain mysterious and precious.

The summer I learned to make beer-battered fish. I was nine years old and went fishing with my father in Princeton, Maine. He pushed me to clean, fillet, and prepare the catch right out of the water – the best way to learn! Today, my best memories of cooking fish always begin with a day of fishing.

I would cook for my grandmother, Josephine. A typical Italian grandmother, she would spend all day cooking big meals for the family but never set a place for herself at the table. She did all the work from start to finish, whether she was making stracciatella soup or clam cakes. I would love to give her the meal she never allowed herself to have.