- 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of mixed fish (see list)
- A half a medium onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic
- A bunch of parsley, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 pound sliced fresh or canned plum tomatoes (if they're fresh, blanch and peel them)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar diluted in 3/4 cup of water
- Salt to taste
- Crumbled or minced hot red pepper (about a half teaspoon, or to taste - don't overdo it)
- Toasted Italian bread rubbed with garlic
Preparation
Step 1
The Fish: Whatever is in season (it needn't be expensive), for example, sole, mullet, catfish, dogfish, goby, squid, octopus, fresh shellfish (see The Joy of Cooking for treatment instructions), and shrimp. Chop the large fish, but leave the small ones whole.
Procedure: Sauté the onion, parsley, and garlic in the oil in a deep bottomed pot. Once the onion has turned translucent, stir in the chopped tomatoes and season the mixture to taste. This is one of the few hot North Italian dishes, so don't feel you must be sparing with the red pepper. When the tomatoes are done, stir in the water and vinegar. Simmer the for a few more minutes and remove the garlic. Blend the sauce and return it to the fire with the fish, and, if you wish, sprinkle another tablespoon or two of olive oil into the pot. Simmer the cacciucco until the fish is done, 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, toast several slices of bread and rub them with a crushed clove of garlic.
Once the fish is done, line the bottoms of your bowls with the toasted bread, ladle the cacciucco over them, and serve.
The Wine? White, and I'd go with either a Bolgheri Bianco or a Bianco della Val di Cornia.
Yield: 4-6 servings Cacciucco alla Livornese.