Ahi in a Creamy Mushroom White Wine Sauce Despite The Body in the Piazza

I just finished The Body in the Piazza, by Katherine Hall Page.  This book should really be on our next Cook the Books list!  So much tempting food here. Page has an ongoing mystery series I've somehow missed out on (well, along with who knows how many other fine series missed up to now) this one featuring Faith Fairchild is actually the twenty-first.  Usually I try to start with the first, but I read a good review and it was available on Kindle from the library, good since I haven't had my cataract surgery yet.  Also I read a good review, though some of her earlier works didn't fare so well.  Aside from all of that, this one was very well written, and completely stand alone.  Not to mention the many delicious meal descriptions, cooked up and served both at the cooking school as well as in local restaurants and homes.   From the Publisher's Summary:

"The twenty-first Faith Fairchild mystery takes Faith and her husband, the Reverend Tom Fairchild, to Italy, where murder and mayhem mix with pecorino, panna cotta, and prosecco. To celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, amateur sleuth Faith Fairchild and her husband, the Reverend Tom Fairchild, leave placid New England behind for a week of romance and fine food in Italy. The bruschetta, the biscotti, the Chianti--Faith can't wait! She's also looking forward to seeing her former assistant Francesca, and take a class at her new cooking school in Florence.  But on their very first night, a travel writer Faith meets in their Roman hotel turns up dead. Then, in their cooking class in Florence, they find themselves surrounded by a number of suspiciously familiar faces they recognize from Rome. Someone is cooking up some unsavory business, including sabotaging Francesca's school. To save her anniversary vacation and protect her friend, Faith must follow a twisting trail of clues to unmask a killer--while learning to master a mean Spaghetti a la Foriana, too!"

You find yourself wanting to stop frequently and cook or at least eat something, as well as book a trip to Italy.  The only problem with my usual cooking from the book was narrowing down one pick from all the glorious options.  And I did make an extensive list.

One meal I noted was "Grouper in a fragrant white wine and mushroom sauce" on Page 30.  Our nephew gave us a nice piece of ahi tuna from his recent fishing trip, and I wanted to do something different with it.  Perfect!  Here's the recipe an online search netted, after some extensive alterations.  Like adding the fish:) and Fusilli pasta.

 Ahi in a Creamy Mushroom White Wine Sauce Over Fusilli

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
about 1/2-3/4 lb. grouper, sea bass or flounder (I used ahi tuna) trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch sections
10 oz (300g) mushrooms, sliced
1 medium (120g) yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup (120g) dry white wine
½ cup (120g) heavy cream
½ cup (120g) vegetable broth
2 tablespoon unsalted butter for frying
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste, optional

preserved salted lemon, about 1tablespoon, chopped, optional 

freshly chopped chives, spring onions or parsley

⅓ (30g) cup parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Melt the butter on a non-stick skillet over a medium-high heat. When fully melted and hot, add the fish, sauté a few minutes on each side then remove to a plate and set aside. If needed add mor butter or olive. Next sauté the onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Then add the mushrooms, season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and cook until the mushroom has reduced in size and is golden brown.
Next add the wine and cook until the liquids are reduced by half., then add the vegetable broth and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce for 3- 5 minutes or until the liquids have reduced by half.

Meanwhile bring your pasta water to a boil and cook that for the recommended time.

Add the fish, heavy cream, and salted preserved lemon, then cook for around 3-5 minutes more while stirring occasionally until the sauce is thick but still pourable. Garnish the sauce with freshly chopped chives or spring onions, if desired and serve over pasta with the parmesan cheese on the side.

This was totally delish!  No lie.  Especially perfect served with a fresh asparagus, arugula and tomato salad.  I'll be sharing this post with Weekend Cooking, hosted by the Intrepid Reader and Baker, Marge, and also with Heather for her March Foodies Read group.