Cacciuccio

A Livornese speciality – Cacciuccio. Rich fish stew with a tomato base, perfect with crusty garlic bread.

Ingredients:

500ml fish stock (brodo)
8 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons of soffritto (1/2 a medium onion, 1 celery stick and 1 carrot, pureed)
2 teaspoons red chili flakes
1kg fresh mixed seafood (prawns, calamari, octopus, scallops)
1 cup medium to full-bodied red wine (we recommend: Seppeltsfield 2016 Barossa Shiraz)
3 heaped tablespoons tomato paste
1 bunch fresh sage
500g fresh eel cut into thick cutlets (optional)
300g mantis shrimp (optional)
500g gurnard fillets (or any white-fleshed Mediterranean fish)
Toasted bread
Garlic

Method:

In a large, deep pot on medium heat, add olive oil. Once warmed, add soffritto, chili flakes, mixed seafood, red wine (we’ve paired this dish with a rich Seppeltsfield 2016 Barossa Shiraz), tomato paste, and fresh sage. Mix thoroughly. Then, add the fish stock. Bring to the boil, and then simmer the stew for an hour, allowing mixture to reduce.

Add the eel cutlets, whole mantis shrimp and gurnard fillets, coating them in the stew. Allow to cook for 5 minutes.

Toast bread until firm and rub with fresh garlic. Serve stew immediately with the garlic bread.

Want to try this recipe at home? Print a copy here