Cacciucco Fish Stew
Ingredients
- 5 lb assorted seafood (squid, prawns, whiting, mullet, cuttlefish, cleaned)
- 0.8 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 cup onions, julienned
- 2 each carrots, julienned
- 2 each celery stalks, julienned
- 0.5 cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped garlic
- 2 each hot chili peppers, stemmed and minced
- 2 each bay leaves
- 2 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 cup red wine
- 4 cup Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 6 cup light fish or chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 12 slice French or Italian bread for serving
Instructions
- 1
Clean the fish, removing their heads and setting them aside. Cut smaller fish into 3-inch pieces. Season all seafood with salt and pepper.
- 2
In a large pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the julienned vegetables and sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- 3
Add the parsley, garlic, chili peppers, bay leaves, thyme, and fish heads. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the fish heads brown.
- 4
Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the wine reduces by half, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- 5
Add the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the fish heads and bay leaves. Keep the broth hot.
- 6
In a large sauté pan, heat another 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the squid, cuttlefish, and octopus and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add the remaining fish and sauté 5 more minutes.
- 7
In another large sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil and pan-fry the bread slices until golden on both sides.
- 8
Line a large serving bowl with the fried bread. Arrange the cooked seafood on top of the bread, then pour the hot broth over everything and serve.