Brodetto alla Sambenedettese
Brodetto alla Sambenedettese, locally called lu vrëdëttë, is a coastal Adriatic fish stew flavoured distinctively with green peppers, white wine vinegar, and onions.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •wide earthenware pot or deep sauté pan with lid
- •sharp knife
- •cutting board
- •tongs
- •ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 28 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide earthenware pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the sliced onions and green peppers, frying gently for eight minutes until soft and translucent.
- 3
Stir in the cuttlefish and chopped tomatoes, simmering for five minutes until the cuttlefish begins to tenderise.
- 4
Pour in the white wine vinegar and let it bubble until the sharp steam reduces by half.
- 5
Layer the firm monkfish and smoothhound steaks carefully across the bottom of the pan.
- 6
Place the whole gurnard and mantis shrimp gently on top to keep delicate flesh intact.
- 7
Season all over with fine sea salt and dried chilli flakes.
- 8
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over low heat for fifteen minutes.
- 9
Swirl the pot by its handles occasionally instead of stirring with a spoon to avoid breaking the fish.
- 10
Place a slice of toasted country bread into the base of each wide shallow bowl.
- 11
Ladle the hot fish, stewed peppers, and tart broth over the toasted bread to serve immediately.
Chef's tips
Never stir this brodetto with a wooden spoon after layering the fish, as the delicate coastal fish will break into mush. Use unripe or slightly tart green-tinged tomatoes rather than rich passata to achieve the authentic pale, tangy Sambenedettese broth colour and sharpness.
Ingredient substitutions
- smoothhound (palombo) → swordfish or cod chunks
- mantis shrimp (canocchie) → whole raw langoustines or unpeeled prawns
- red gurnard (gallinella) → red mullet or scorpionfish
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat until simmering throughout, without stirring.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Stirring the pot with a spoon during simmering, which breaks apart whole fish and clouds the broth.
- •Using sweet red tomato passata, which turns the broth into an Ancona-style red brodetto instead of Sambenedettese.
- •Boiling rapidly over high heat, which toughens the cuttlefish and overcooks delicate white fish.
Serving suggestions
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