Zuppa di Pesce alla Gallipolina
A historic Salento fish soup cooked with mixed rockfish, shellfish, and tomatoes, balanced with a splash of vinegar and served over toasted bread.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Large wide saucepan or earthenware pot
- •Fish scaler and knife
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
- •Toaster or baking tray
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 14 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide heavy-based pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves, cooking gently for five minutes until soft and translucent.
- 3
Stir in the cuttlefish strips and cook for six minutes until opaque.
- 4
Add the crushed plum tomatoes, half the chopped parsley, and a pinch of salt.
- 5
Simmer the sauce over low heat for ten minutes until slightly reduced.
- 6
Pour in three hundred millilitres of warm water and bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7
Add the firmest rockfish chunks and simmer gently for eight minutes without stirring roughly.
- 8
Add the prawns and any delicate fish pieces, cooking for another four minutes.
- 9
Pour in the white wine vinegar and simmer for two minutes so the flavours meld.
- 10
Toast the bread slices until crisp and golden brown on both sides.
- 11
Place two slices of toasted bread in the base of each wide bowl.
- 12
Ladle the fish and hot broth generously over the bread and garnish with remaining parsley.
Chef's tips
Do not stir the pot with a spoon once the fish is in; gently swirl the pan by its handles to keep the fish whole. Leaving fish heads on during cooking enriches the stock naturally.
Ingredient substitutions
- cuttlefish → squid, though cuttlefish yields a meatier traditional texture
- scorpionfish → monkfish, red mullet, or firm cod fillets
- crusty Pugliese bread → any rustic country sourdough bread
Storage
Store leftover soup without bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one day.
Reheating
Warm gently in a covered saucepan over low heat until steaming hot, avoiding a rolling boil.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the soup vigorously, which breaks delicate fish into small fragments.
- •Adding all seafood at the same time instead of staggering by cooking time.
- •Omitting the vinegar splash, which defines the genuine Gallipoli style.
Serving suggestions
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