Brodetto all'Anconetana
Brodetto all'Anconetana is Ancona's iconic Adriatic fish stew, featuring layered seafood simmered in a rich tomato base sharpened with red wine vinegar.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Wide terracotta pan or heavy shallow casserole with lid
- •Chef's knife
- •Cutting board
- •Grill pan or toaster
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 32 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Warm the extra-virgin olive oil in a wide heavy casserole over medium-low heat.
- 2
Add the chopped onion and garlic, cooking gently until translucent and soft.
- 3
Pour in the red wine vinegar and simmer briskly until the sharp vapour subsides.
- 4
Stir in the tomato passata, half the parsley, salt, and black pepper.
- 5
Simmer the sauce uncovered for ten minutes until it thickens slightly.
- 6
Add the cuttlefish strips first, cover the pan, and simmer for fifteen minutes.
- 7
Place the monkfish pieces into the bubbling sauce and simmer for eight minutes.
- 8
Nestle the gurnard and mantis shrimp into the broth, cooking for five minutes.
- 9
Lay the delicate red mullet on top and simmer covered for four minutes.
- 10
Do not stir with a spoon; gently swirl the casserole to coat the fish.
- 11
Scatter the remaining parsley over the stew and rest off the heat for two minutes.
- 12
Place a slice of toasted bread into each warm bowl and ladle the brodetto over.
Chef's tips
Never stir this stew with a spoon once the fish is added, as the delicate fillets will break apart. The vinegar is essential to cut through the rich gelatin of the fish bones and tomato.
Ingredient substitutions
- mantis shrimp → large unpeeled raw prawns or langoustines
- cuttlefish → cleaned squid tubes, reducing the initial cooking time by five minutes
- red gurnard → sea bass or firm grey mullet steaks
Storage
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered pan over very low heat without stirring to avoid breaking the fish.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding all the fish varieties together, which causes delicate species to disintegrate.
- •Stirring vigorously with utensils rather than gently shaking the casserole by its handles.
- •Leaving out the vinegar, which robs the Anconetano brodetto of its defining regional character.
Serving suggestions
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