Fish broth: the recipe for a rich and tasty seafood dish

He fish soup it is a typical soup of the coastal areas belonging to the poor cuisine. Formerly prepared by the fishermen directly on the boats, the smaller fish being destined to remain unsold on the market stalls, it has transformed over time into a second, rich and succulent, composed of a wide variety of fish. A regional specialty that can therefore be eaten in many different ways depending on the area of ​​origin, but one of the most famous variants is undoubtedly that of Fano: particularly velvety and served with crostini warm bread, ready to welcome all the seasonings.

In our recipe, we have included different types of fish specieswith and without bones: monkfish, squid, prawns, clams and cod fillets, which, once carefully cleaned, are soaked gradually, and respecting the different preparation timesin a sauce of fresh tomatoes, diluted with boiling water and made more flavorful by the strained cooking liquid from the clams.

The result will be a delicious dish, proof of the final slipper, to be sprinkled liberally with chopped parsley and brought to the table, also as a satisfying single dish, for a lunch in the family or cena with special guests. For an even more aromatic result, we toasted the slices of bread on a very hot griddle and then rubbed them with a clove of garlic: but you can safely omit this step if you prefer.

Learn how to make fish broth by following the step-by-step procedure and tips. If you liked this recipe, also try the Cacciucco alla Livornese.

How to prepare a fish soup

Soak the clams in cold water 1add a pinch of coarse salt and let drain for about 2-3 hours.

Remove the residual bones from the cod fillet 2.

Shell the monkfish 3 then fillet it.

Brown the chopped onion in a large pan with a generous drizzle of oil, then add the cherry tomatoes 4washed and cut in half.

Clean the squid: remove the head, remove the central cartilage and cut into slices 5. Then rinse the shellfish under running water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Pour the calamari into the pan with the cherry tomatoes 6.

Deglaze with 1 tablespoon of vinegar 7.

Cover with hot water 8.

Add 1 teaspoon of coarse salt 9 and cook for 5 minutes.

In a separate pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with 2 cloves of garlic ten.

Add the clams 11rinse thoroughly with running water.

Cover with lid 12 and let them open to a bright flame.

Once opened, remove from the heat, let them cool and then peel them. 13: set aside a few whole clams for the final garnish.

Strain the cooking juice from the clams 14 and pour it into the pot with the squid.

Also add the cod fillet and the monkfish 15and continue cooking over low heat for about 15 minutes.

Clean the shellfish: deprive the shrimp of the shell 16remove the head and, using a toothpick, remove the dark filament from the intestine.

Transfer the shrimp to the skillet with the rest of the peach 17.

Also add the shelled clams 18 and bring to cooking.

Meanwhile, brush the slices of bread with a drizzle of oil 19 and grill them on both sides on a griddle.

Rub the croutons with the remaining garlic clove 20.

Parsley flavor 21finely chopped with a knife.

Mix well with a spoon 22 and remove it from the heat.

Transfer the hot fish broth to a serving platter, top with the reserved whole clams and serve with the croutons 23.

Advice

I’vinegar, used in the kitchen to mix fish, will serve to make the meat more consistent and give more aroma to the dish. But, alternatively, you can easily replace it with an equal amount of dry white wine.

If you wish, you can clean the catches following our instructions or, to considerably reduce preparation times, you can ask the help of your trusted fishmonger: the important thing, for flawless success, is that the material first be very cool and of excellent quality.

For a version thornless“childproof”, we suggest omitting the cod and adding mussels, plaice, octopus, small octopus, sole… to the soup, while for a taste more pronounced, you can flavor the whole thing with sliced ​​fresh chilli.

Variants

From north to south, fish soup is prepared in many variations. In Romagnaa region that more than any other disputes paternity with the Marches, one cannot ignore the gurnard, locally called mazzolina and replaced by the Marches with the San Pietro fish.

In the Marches, the soup varies from town to town: a San Benedetto del Tronto it is cooked without tomatoes and with peppers cut into strips, a Porto Recanati in white and with the addition of zafferanella (the wild saffron of Mount Conero), while the announcement Ancona tradition has it that it is made up of at least thirteen different types of rockfish.

A Naples the dish includes mussels, octopus, prawns, clams, snails and sea truffles, all enriched with fresh piennolo tomatoes and served with fried croutons.

storage

The fish soup can be stored in the refrigerator, closed in an airtight container, for A day massive.