Preparing Italian Seafood Recipes in New England

Italy has 7800 miles of coastline, and many, many seafood recipes. Most of the country lies within a hundred miles of the coast; for comparison, most of New England also lies within 100 miles of the coast if you leave out all of Vermont!

Italy's Catholic heritage has ensured that there are many religious fast days where fish can be eaten, but not other kinds of meat, so not only are there many seafood recipes, but many of them are made interesting for holidays. 

So it can be a lot of fun to explore Italian seafood recipes, except that there's an awful lot of Mediterranean seafood that is simply unavailable in New England, so you have to find local substitutes.

Here's my take on reasonable substitutes of New England seafood for Italian seafood: 

 Italian Recipe calls for In New England, try Sole/SoglioleSole or Flounder  Skate/RazzaSkate  Swordfish/Pesce SpadaSwordfish  Tuna/TonnoTuna  BranzinoBranzino can de found at Restaurant Depot Striped or Grey Mullet/CefaloCod Red Mullet/TriglieRed Snapper is good but much larger Eel/AnguilleYou can sometimes get eel at Christmastime  Turbot/RomboHalibut  Scorpionfish/ScorfanoHalibut  PlaiceHalibut Tope/PalomboHalibut Porgy/DenticeHalibut Sturgeon/StorioneGet Sturgeon at Baza in Newton, or use Halibut  Mackerel/SgombriMackerel  Sea Bream, Red Porgy/SaragoHaddock  John Dory/San Pietro Haddock Sea Bream/OrataCod  Cod/MerluzzoFresh Atlantic Cod is rarely served in Italy Sardines/SardineSardines, especially available at Christmastime Grouper/Cernia? Hake/NaselloHake or Cod  Salt Cod/Baccala, StoccafissoSalt Cod  Salmon/SalmoneAtlantic Salmon  Salmon Trout  Monkfish/Coda di RospoMonkfish  Anchovies/Acciughe  Herrings/AringheHerrings  ------------------  Spiny Lobster/AragostaSometimes can be found frozen  Lobster/AsticiAmerican Lobster  Shrimp/Gamberi (gray, red, or smallJust substitute what you can get, they're all imported except the tiny pink Maine shrimp (also Canadian) Spider Crab/GranceolaIn these waters but not caught, alas! All other crab/GranchioUse local crab  Langoustine/ScampiFrozen Langoustine  Squid/CalamariSquid  Scallops/CappesanteSea Scallops  Mussels/CozzeMussels  Oysters/OstricheOysters  Clams/VongoleLittlenecks  Octopus/PolpiAvailable whole frozen at  Whole Foods and Chaves Market, Fall River Musky Octopus/MoscardiniUnavailable  Cuttlefish/Seppie Unavailable  

 Note that Halibut substitutes for a lot of large, white fish with firm flesh and mild flavor. Many of the Italian fishes are smaller and cooked whole, which is impractical with a halibut. I selected halibut for the way it cooks and tastes over its size; if you really want to cook a whole fish, adjust the other ingredients to suit the flavor of the selected fish.