The fish stew is a typical Italian dish, a symbol of the maritime tradition of the Adriatic. The stew originated as a poor fishermen’s dish, typical of the regions of Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Abruzzo, and Marche, but also present in Croatian cuisine. Each area has its version, which also varies according to the season, but generally, fish stew should have at least 9-10 kinds of fish, and each Adriatic port has its recipe. I recommend this recipe, which may seem very laborious at first glance, but it is not, as it is a dish that cooks in a very short time and is truly delicious and rich in flavors and aromas that should be prepared at least once in a lifetime.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Expensive
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cuttlefish
- 1 squid
- 1 calamari
- 8 shrimp
- 2 king prawns
- 6 red shrimp
- 4 langoustines
- 1 scorpionfish
- 1 gurnard
- 28 oz mussels
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 onion
- 1 bunch parsley
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 2 Pans
Procedure
Fish Stew
Remove the heads from the shrimp, king prawns, and langoustines, except for the red shrimp.
Remove the eyes and set aside.
Remove the black vein and rinse under running water.
Set aside to drain.
Clean the calamari, squid, and cuttlefish, wash them well, and cut them into strips about 3/8 inch wide, set aside to drain.
Fillet the scorpionfish and gurnard.
In a large pot, add the fish heads and bones, also add the shrimp and langoustine heads.
Add a drizzle of oil and toast over high heat.
In the meantime, wash and roughly chop the celery, carrot, and half onion.
Add them to the stock and sauté, add water until everything is covered.
Cook for 2 hours or until the liquid has reduced by half.
Clean the mussels and soak them in cold water with a handful of salt for 30 minutes.
Drain them and place in a large pot.
Cover with a lid and allow them to open.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Discard some shells and strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve.
When the stock is ready, add the mussel cooking liquid and adjust salt if necessary.
In a large pan, add the remaining half chopped onion and oil.
Sauté on low heat and add the mollusks.
Add 3-4 ladles of strained stock, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
If necessary, add another ladle of stock, it should not dry out.
Add the fish fillets and another ladle of stock.
Cook for 10 minutes without stirring but occasionally shaking the pan.
Finally, add the shellfish, two more ladles of stock, and the mussels.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the parsley and toast the bread.
Remove from heat and plate, decorating with parsley and a drizzle of raw oil.
Serve immediately accompanied by toasted bread.
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