Today Cacciucco Livornese in the Portuguese Cataplana. More fusion than that..
The cataplana is a Portuguese pot, made of tinned copper. It is about two matching hemispheres. In Portugal it is used for fish soups. I thought: why not for our succulent cacciucco?
You start by cleaning the various fish. Today we had monkfish, which has been skinned, and a beautiful red scorpionfish. We also had an octopus, some king prawns, some corn on the cob, mussels and clams.
We cut the monkfish into slices a couple of centimeters high.
Here is the recipe:
CACCIUCCO
Ingredients for 4-6:
500 gr (1.1 Lb) octopus
500 gr (1.1 Lb) mussels well cleaned and washed
1 kg fish (2.2 Lb) (what the market offers between Sanpietro – John Dory -, scorpion fish, monkfish, red mullet: the more varieties of fish, crustaceans and molluscs, the better the result will be)
8 shrimps
3 garlic cloves
1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 little onion
1 parsley bunch
hot chili pepper
500 gr (1.1 Lb) canned tomatoes
1 glass dry white wine
80 gr (2 and 1/2 Oz) olive oil
8 slices of stale bread
Clean all the fish, keeping aside the larger heads, which can optionally be used to make a broth. Remove the shell from the prawns. Clean the octopuses well..
In a casserole heat the mussels so that they open and filter the water they will produce.
Finely chop the carrot, garlic, onion and celery and sauté them in olive oil together with the hot pepper. Then add the garlic and parsley
Add the octopus. Let its water evaporate then pour the wine. When the wine has completely evaporated, add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt.
Put the hardest fish and some water. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes, adding hot water if necessary.
Add the remaining fish, then the prawns. Cook on a low flame for 15 minutes. Put the mussels and their water.
Toast the slices of bread. Optionally, rub them with garlic. Place them back on the bottom of individual plates or a large serving bowl. Carefully place the fish pieces on top, and then pour the sauce over them. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Do you smell the perfume?
Marcella Ansaldo © 2023