Brodetto (Fish Stew) Ancona-Style

Description

Brodetto, a fish stew with a tomato base, is a specialty of the Marche region of Italy. There are several recipes for brodetto, even within the Marche. This recipe belongs to the province of Ancona. To make this recipe, I chose fish available in the southern United States.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
  • 1 ½ pounds red snapper fillets, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups fish stock
  • 1 pound clams in shell, scrubbed
  • ½ pound medium shrimp, with shells
  • 6 (3/4 inch thick) slices Italian bread, toasted

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan
  2. Dutch oven
  3. or preferably a clay pot over medium heat. Add the onion
  4. garlic
  5. carrot
  6. celery
  7. bay leaves
  8. parsley
  9. and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent
  10. about 5 minutes.
  11. Stir in the mashed tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Add the fish. Pour in the vinegar or wine. Cook until the liquid has almost evaporated
  12. about 10 minutes; pour in the fish stock. Cover
  13. reduce the heat to low
  14. and simmer for 10 minutes.
  15. Gently mix in the clams. Cook until clams have opened (discard any that don’t open) about 2 minutes
  16. and then stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink
  17. about 3 minutes.
  18. Place a slice of toasted bread in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle brodetto over the bread and serve immediately.

Prep Time: 35 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Servings: 6

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