Photo courtesy of Braising Cain

Community Supported Fisheries (CSFs) are on the rise—and Braising Cain is reaping the benefits.

This author lucked out when his friends went on vacation, leaving him their weekly share of fresh fish from Cape Ann Fresh Catch, a CSF based in Gloucester.

CSFs function like CSAs: customers pay in advance and, throughout the season, they receive food they know is fresh, chemical-free and grown, raised or caught in a manner that is good to the earth and to the people who tend to it. For a Cape Ann Fresh Catch customer, a weekly delivery might be whole or filleted cod, yellowtail flounder, hake, pollock, haddock, grey sole and/or redfish/ocean perch.

This week’s catch for Braising Cain? Cod. His wine pairing? A bottle from Lebanon (a 2009 Chateau Musar Jeune Blanc, to be exact). And his recipe? Italian. From an iconic New England fish, Braising Cain has created a cosmopolitan “aqua pazza.”

Literally translated as ‘crazy water,’ aqua pazza is a broth of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, chili flake, tomatoes, basil, capers and salted water in which the home chef poaches his cod to perfection.

“The resulting flavor,” writes Braising Cain, “should be briny like the ocean, tart and spicy with the very familiar essence of Italy coming through from the tomatoes, garlic, and basil.”

Hungry yet? Here’s Braising Cain’s “Aqua Pazza” Recipe.