Italia a tavola-Firenze-Drunken Sturgeon

Storione Ubriaco 

(Drunken Sturgeon)

28oz of Sturgeon

1 glass of white wine

2 garlic cloves

1 lemon (juiced)

¼ spoon of Italian parsley (chopped)

¼ ts of Thyme

Rosemary

3 TbS of Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Make a marinade with the 2 TbS of olive oil, rosemary, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cover the sturgeon with it, on both sides, and let sit for 4 hours.

In a pan put 1TbS of olive oil and the garlic cut in 4 pieces (each); when the

Garlic is slightly golden add the sturgeon and fry lightly on both sides, then add the white wine, a little more salt and pepper and the thyme. Let cook until the sauce is a bit thicker and serve with fresh lemon on the side.

The sturgeon is of remote origin.  In the Italian sea once lived a few different species of sturgeon that in the spring time (reproduction time) would swim up the rivers where the female would deposit up to 2,000 eggs. Sturgeon eggs are also used to make caviar.  At this point there are almost no sturgeons left in the Italian sea; the last known catch was in 1958, in the Arno river.  Two very large sturgeons were caught  and used for the wedding banquet  of Lucrezia de' Medici with the Prince Alfonso d' Este.