Brodetto Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, Dutch oven, or preferably a clay pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaves, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
• 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, about 10 minutes; pour in the fish stock. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Gently mix in the clams. Cook until clams have opened (discard any that don't open) about 2 minutes, and then stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes.
• Place a slice of toasted bread in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle brodetto over the bread and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Season the swordfish with salt. Pour some flour on a plate and dredge the swordfish in the flour. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the swordfish until golden on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium; add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot. Add the garlic, onion and red pepper flakes and cook about 3 minutes. Season with salt and add the wine. Cover and cook, stirring a few times, until the onion is tender, about 5 more minutes.
• Add the seafood to the pot in layers, starting with the clams, then the shrimp, calamari rings and tentacles, and the swordfish. Cover and cook until the clams have just opened, about 6 minutes. Lightly stir, cover again and simmer 5 more minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Stir in the butter, parsley, vinegar and salt to taste. Serve with bread.

Steps:

• Slice the grouper fillet into chunks 3 to 4 inches wide, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Pour the olive oil into the big saucepan, and set it over medium heat. Dredge the fish pieces in flour, shake off any excess, and lay them in the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, until crisp and opaque on the underside; turn the pieces, and brown them for another minute or two on the other side. Remove to a platter.
• Drop the chopped garlic into the pan, stir until sizzling, then add the onion and stir well, scraping up any caramelized bits on the bottom. Sprinkle in the peperoncino, the cinnamon, and another 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, as the onion wilts and lightly colors. Push the onion aside to clear a small space on the pan bottom. Drop in the tomato paste, stir it in the clear hot spot for a minute to toast, then incorporate into the onions.
• Pour in the crushed tomatoes and 2 cups of hot water (use some of the water to rinse the tomato container), raise the heat, stir well, and bring the liquids to a boil. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, and adjust the heat to keep the brodetto bubbling gently.
• After 10 minutes, nestle the grouper chunks into the simmering brodetto, and pour in any fish juices accumulated in the platter. The chunks should be nearly covered by the sauce; add more hot water if necessary. Heat rapidly until the sauce is bubbling again, then simmer gently, partially covered. Shake the pan occasionally to distribute the brodetto and slosh it over the fish.
• When the grouper is tender and flakes easily, in about 10 to 15 minutes, turn off the heat. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil all over the top.
• Meanwhile, prepare the couscous: Put 3 cups water, the olive oil, salt, and bay leaves in the smaller saucepan, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Pour in the couscous, and stir until the water begins to boil again, then turn off the heat and cover the pan tightly. Let the couscous sit to soften and completely absorb the water, about 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork, breaking up any lumps, and remove the bay leaves.
• To serve, do as Anna does: Heap the couscous in a warm deep serving-platter bowl. Lay the chunks of grouper on top, spoon half of the brodetto over the fish and couscous, and pour the rest into a bowl for passing at the table. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Steam the mussels with the wine and water until opened, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain, reserve the broth and set the mussels aside to cool.
• Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add one clove of garlic, chili-pepper flakes, ginger, coriander seed, orange rind and onion. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, marjoram, thyme and the reserved mussel broth. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat.
• Preheat the grill or broiler. Use the remaining olive oil to brush the bread on both sides. Cut the remaining garlic clove in half lengthwise and rub the bread on both sides. Grill or broil the bread until golden. Remove and set aside.
• Add the squid, cod and snapper to the stew. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the mussels and continue simmering for 3 more minutes. Place a piece of country bread in the bottom of each bowl, ladle the soup over it and serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a large stock pot over medium high heat add olive oil, celery, spring onion, marjoram, parsley, thyme, and garlic sauti until onions begin to become transparent about 5 minutes.
• Add the vinegar, cherry tomatoes, peperoncino, canned whole tomato, cuttlefish and wine.
• Allow to come up to a simmer and then cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the Bass by placing on top of the broth and very gently pushing the fish down.
• Allow to cook 5 minutes.
• Add the mussels, razor clams, shrimp, and squid by placing on top of broth and fish gently pushing down with a large ladle and basting the shell fish with the hot broth.
• Cover stockpot with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until mussels and clams are all open and shrimp and squid are cooked through.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Carefully remove to serving platter and sprinkle parsley on top.