Chef Graziella
Acquacotta Maremmana
The humblest soup in Tuscany, born from the wild Maremma where shepherds and charcoal burners transformed water, onions, stale bread, and an egg into sustenance. Proof that poverty teaches better than plenty.
Culinary Explorer
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Brodetto all'Anconetana
Created by
The storied fish stew of Ancona, where up to thirteen varieties of Adriatic fish simmer gently in a broth sharpened with vinegar and gilded with saffron. Every port town claims theirs is authentic.
Soups & Stews
Italian
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
45 min
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 30 min total
Yield6 servings
Along the Adriatic coast, every fishing port has its brodetto, and every port believes its version is the only correct one. They argue about vinegar, saffron, tomatoes, the number of fish, the shape of the pot. The fishermen of Ancona will tell you their brodetto is the original, and they will tell you this with such conviction that you may believe them.
What distinguishes Ancona's version is the white wine vinegar, added early and cooked down until its sharpness becomes merely a bright note beneath the saffron and tomato. The Venetians would never dream of such a thing. The Romagnoli to the north add it only at the end, if at all. The cooks of Ancona add it boldly and defend their choice.
This is not a stew you stir. The fish are layered according to how long they take to cook, the firmest at the bottom, the most delicate on top. You may shake the pan. You may not insert a spoon. A spoon destroys the fish, and destroyed fish cannot be served to guests.
The number thirteen appears in old recipes, a reference to the supposed abundance of Adriatic catches and perhaps to certain superstitions. Today, you use what your fishmonger has, what is freshest, what swam in the sea that morning. Six varieties, chosen well, make a finer brodetto than thirteen chosen poorly.
Brodetto traces to the ancient Roman practice of cooking the unsalable catch in seawater with vinegar, a thrifty solution that became coastal tradition. By the medieval period, each Adriatic port had codified its own version, with Ancona's vinegar-forward style documented in regional texts from the 17th century. The disputes about ingredients between neighboring towns continue to this day, treated with the seriousness others reserve for politics or religion.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
mixed whole fish
Quantity
3 pounds
scaled and cleaned
mixed shellfish
Quantity
1 pound
scrubbed and debearded
squid
Quantity
1/2 pound
cleaned and cut into rings
cuttlefish
Quantity
1/2 pound
cleaned and cut into strips
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/2 cup
yellow onions
Quantity
2 medium
sliced thin
garlic cloves
Quantity
4
crushed and peeled
white wine vinegar
Quantity
1/2 cup
dry white wine
Quantity
1 cup
San Marzano tomatoes
Quantity
1 can (14 ounces)
passed through food mill
saffron threads
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
steeped in 1/4 cup warm water
fish broth or water
Quantity
2 cups
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly ground
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
for serving
chopped
crusty bread
Quantity
6 slices
toasted and rubbed with garlic
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| mixed whole fishscaled and cleaned | 3 pounds |
| mixed shellfishscrubbed and debearded | 1 pound |
| squidcleaned and cut into rings | 1/2 pound |
| cuttlefishcleaned and cut into strips | 1/2 pound |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/2 cup |
| yellow onionssliced thin | 2 medium |
| garlic clovescrushed and peeled | 4 |
| white wine vinegar | 1/2 cup |
| dry white wine | 1 cup |
| San Marzano tomatoespassed through food mill | 1 can (14 ounces) |
| saffron threadssteeped in 1/4 cup warm water | 1/4 teaspoon |
| fish broth or water | 2 cups |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly ground | to taste |
| flat-leaf parsleychopped | for serving |
| crusty breadtoasted and rubbed with garlic | 6 slices |
Equipment Needed
- •Wide shallow terracotta pot or 14-inch braising pan with lid
- •Food mill for tomatoes
- •Fish scaler and sharp filleting knife, or a cooperative fishmonger
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the fish
Separate your fish by cooking time. Firm-fleshed fish like monkfish, John Dory, and scorpionfish take the longest. Medium fish like red mullet and gurnard cook faster. Delicate fish and shellfish go in last. If using whole small fish, leave them whole. Larger fish should be cut into thick steaks. The fish must be immaculately fresh. There is no sauce to hide imperfection here.
Speak to your fishmonger. Tell them you are making brodetto and ask what is freshest from the catch. Tradition calls for thirteen varieties, but six or seven exceptional fish surpass thirteen mediocre ones. - 2
Build the foundation
In a wide, shallow braising pan or terracotta pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and pale gold, about 15 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook two minutes more. The garlic flavors the oil, nothing more. Remove and discard the garlic cloves before proceeding.
- 3
Add the vinegar
Pour in the white wine vinegar. Let it bubble and reduce by half. This is the signature of Ancona's brodetto, the sharp note that distinguishes it from every other fish stew along the coast. The aroma will be strong. This is correct. The sharpness mellows as it cooks.
- 4
Add tomatoes and saffron
Add the passed tomatoes, the saffron with its steeping water, and the fish broth. Stir gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. The liquid should be about one inch deep. Add more broth if necessary.
The question of tomatoes in brodetto divides families in the Marche. Ancona's version includes them. Further north in Fano, they do not. Both are authentic to their towns. Neither is wrong. - 5
Layer the firm fish
Lay the firm-fleshed fish and the cuttlefish in the simmering broth in a single layer. Do not pile them. They must cook evenly. Spoon some broth over the top. Cover partially and simmer gently for 10 minutes. You may shake the pan to prevent sticking, but never stir with a spoon. A spoon breaks the fish.
- 6
Add medium fish
Nestle the medium fish and squid rings into the broth, pushing them between the pieces already cooking. Spoon broth over again. Cover partially and cook 8 minutes more. Shake the pan occasionally. Still no stirring.
- 7
Finish with shellfish
Scatter the clams and mussels over the top. Cover the pan completely now and cook until the shells open wide, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard any that refuse to open. The fish should be just cooked through, the flesh opaque but still moist.
Overcooking is the death of fish stew. Better to remove the pan from heat a minute early and let residual heat finish the work. Fish continues cooking in hot broth. - 8
Serve immediately
Place a slice of garlic-rubbed toast in each warm bowl. Ladle the brodetto over, dividing the fish varieties evenly among the bowls. Scatter with chopped parsley. Serve at once. Fish stew waits for no one. The fish is perfect for exactly five minutes after leaving the stove, and then it is overcooked.
Chef Tips
- •The quality of your fish broth matters enormously. Make it yourself from fish bones and heads, simmered with onion, celery, and parsley for 30 minutes. Never longer, or it turns bitter. Strained broth keeps refrigerated for two days.
- •If you cannot find scorpionfish or gurnard, use monkfish, sea bass, red mullet, John Dory, or whatever firm white fish your market offers. The principle matters more than the specific varieties: a mix of textures and flavors from different fish.
- •The terracotta pot of tradition conducts heat gently and evenly. A wide, shallow braising pan works nearly as well. What you must avoid is a deep pot where fish pile upon fish.
- •Saffron threads should be steeped in warm water for at least 20 minutes to release their color and flavor. Powder dissolves more readily but is often adulterated. Buy threads from a reputable source.
Advance Preparation
- •The broth base through step 4 can be made several hours ahead and reheated before adding the fish. Do not add fish until you are ready to serve.
- •Fish must be prepared the same day. Ask your fishmonger to clean and scale whole fish, but cook them within hours of purchase.
- •This dish does not reheat. Make only what you will eat. Leftover brodetto is a contradiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 420g)
Calories
480 calories
Total Fat
22 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
18 g
Cholesterol
210 mg
Sodium
500 mg
Total Carbohydrates
23 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
41 g
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