Brodetto all'Anconetana

How it is made

Quantities are for 4 people. The steps are in the order you do them.

1. clean and wash all the fish: take the bone, the ink sac and the beak out of the cuttlefish and cut them into pieces, cut the larger fish into steaks, then lay everything on a wide plate and salt lightly
2. in a large earthenware pot, or a pan with a very thick base, pour the oil and soften the onion and the garlic over a medium heat until golden
3. raise the flame, pour in the vinegar and let it evaporate completely: this is the step that flavours the base and keeps the fish whole during cooking
4. add the parsley, the passata and the paste dissolved in a little salted water, keep the sauce fairly loose and cook over a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes
5. add the cuttlefish and squid, which need longer, cover and carry on gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce begins to reduce
6. move the cuttlefish to the edge of the pot and add the rest in order of cooking time: first mantis shrimp, langoustines and large fish such as monkfish and smooth-hound, then the medium ones such as hake, red mullet and scorpionfish, last the sole and the delicate fish. Cover and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes on the lowest heat
7. turn off the heat and let it rest covered for at least 10 minutes: the sauce should stay thick and dark red
8. lay the slices of toasted bread in the bottom of the bowls, pour the boiling brodetto over them and scatter with fresh parsley. A still Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, cool from the cellar, goes with it