Stocco alla Messinese
A hearty Messina stew of tender rehydrated stockfish gently simmered with potatoes, green olives, capers, and rich tomato sauce.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 490 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chopping board
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 490 kcal
- fat
- 20 g
- carbs
- 32 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 490 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Warm the olive oil in a wide casserole over medium-low heat.
- 2
Add the sliced onion and celery, sweating for six minutes until sweet and translucent.
- 3
Stir in the drained capers and green olives, cooking gently for two minutes.
- 4
Pour in the white wine and simmer until the harsh alcohol aroma evaporates.
- 5
Add the crushed tomatoes with a light pinch of salt and bring to a simmer.
- 6
Nestle the potato chunks into the sauce, cover, and cook for twelve minutes.
- 7
Arrange the stockfish pieces gently between the potatoes without breaking the flesh.
- 8
Cover with a lid and simmer gently on low heat for twenty-five minutes.
- 9
Shake the pan gently rather than stirring to keep the fish intact.
- 10
Uncover for the last five minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.
- 11
Scatter over the fresh chopped parsley and leave to rest off the heat.
Chef's tips
Never stir the pan vigorously with a spoon once the fish is added, as the flakes will break apart; gently shake the casserole occasionally instead. Buy pre-soaked stockfish from a reputable fishmonger to save days of soaking time. Taste the sauce before adding any salt, as the capers and olives impart substantial seasoning naturally.
Ingredient substitutions
- stocco (rehydrated stockfish) → desalted salt cod (baccalà), though cooking time will be slightly shorter
- canned whole peeled tomatoes → equal weight of smooth tomato passata
Storage
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Stirring the pot with a heavy spoon, which shreds the delicate cooked fish flakes into mush.
- •Over-salting the sauce early in cooking before the olives and capers have released their brine.
- •Cutting the potatoes too small, causing them to disintegrate before the stockfish finishes braising.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Stocco alla Messinese?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Sicily
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
