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photo (c) Paolo Marini www.fotomarche.com
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Zuppa di pesce:
Abruzzo, Friuli, Romagna,
Marche, Veneto: brodetto
Tuscany: caciucco
Liguria: burrida, cioppin
Fish stew |
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Ingredients
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3 lbs. assorted fish (gray mullet, turbot, St. Peter's, scorpion fish,
squid, octopus, shrimps) or any fish with a firm texture
3 tomatoes, chopped
lemon
3 cloves garlic
2 sprigs parsley
salt
pepper
2 tbs. olive oil
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Characteristics
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Course
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FIRST
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Preparation time
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150 minutes
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Difficulty
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Medium
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Recipe for persons
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4
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Region |
Abruzzo, Tuscany
Romagna, Marche,
Liguria, Friuli
Veneto |
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Preparation
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How to make the fish soup: gut and clean all the fish. Fillet the fish with bone and cut the squid and octopus into
pieces while reserving the heads and the bone.
Bring 6 qts. water to a boil in a large pot: add the tomatoes, the fish
bones and heads, including the shrimps' heads. Cook for 2 hours, then cool
and pass through a fine sieve. Bring this poaching liquid back to a simmer
and start adding the fish, one at a time, in order of cooking time. First
the squid or octopus, then the scorpion fish, the shrimps, turbot, St.
Peter's fish and the mullets. Cook till all fish is done.
Prepare a soffritto with garlic and parsley, add to the fish stew
and remove from heat. Finish with lemon juice, place in a large serving
platter and serve with toasted country bread.
Note:
There are as many variations and as many names to this preparation as
there are church bells. Just to mention a few: brodetto,
caciucco, burrida, cioppin. The type of fish added also varies; some do
not add mollusks, some add bivalves, some claim that at least 13 or 14
different types of fish should be used, others use only one type.
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photo (c) Paolo Marini www.fotomarche.com
Fish soup. It doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But in Italy, fish soup rules.
Since Italy is bordered by water on three sides, it's not surprising that there
are thousands of variations of zuppa di pesce throughout the country, especially
in the towns that dot the coastline. Families in the same village often have
utterly distinct, yet equally delicious, preparations.
In Genoa, fish soup is called burrida, a name residents got
from their neighbors in France from the Provencal dialect bourrido ("to boil").
There, it's a soup made of cuttlefish, angler and anchovies. In Tuscany, it's
called caciucco, and on the opposite side of Italy, along the Adriatic, it's
referred to as brodetto. Many Americans are familiar with the term "cioppino,"
which is not an Italian word. It comes from the Ligurian immigrants in San
Francisco and is based on their dialect's name for the dish, ciuppin.
While this recipe calls for some specific species, feel
free to use any firm, light-fleshed fish. There's a delicate balance to a good
zuppa di pesce, so strong-flavored fish like salmon or snapper don't work. No
sole or flounder either--they're too flaky. Use an ample supply of shellfish,
whatever's freshest is best. Finally, make sure you have a good loaf of bread to
serve with the zuppa.
Some traditional preparations from Liguria do not add
tomato sauce, as the original recipe calls for the full flavor of the sea to be
maintained in the fish soup.
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
TangoItalia - Food Wine Travel in Italy - Home
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