Hey Food lovers,
I recently visited Livorno, Italy and tried an amazing dish that I wish to share with you.
Have you ever tried Cacciucco? It’s a fish stew typical for the northwest regions of Italy - Tuscany and Liguria. The traditional recipe is with 5 different types of fish (one for each letter ‘c’ in cacciucco). The stew I tried in Livorno is a variation without fishbones and I personally prefer it. You can find it on the menu as a ‘Cacciucco senza lische’.
If you wish to give it a try straight away, I found a recipe in one of my cooking books that I will try preparing at home this weekend:
Cacciucco senza lische (Cacciucco style fish soup without bones)
Ingredients:
350 g octopus, 350 g squid, 300 g prawns, 100 g mussels
400 g peeled tomatoes, 1 tbs tomato paste
1 glass red wine, 4 tbs olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 4 sage leaves, salt, pepper, parsley
4 slices toasted bread
Heat 4 tbs of olive oil and sautè the 2 crushed garlic cloves and the sage leaves. If you like spicy food, add some peperoncino. Add the chopped octopus and the squids previously sliced into rings. Pour the wine, cover and cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the tomato paste, diluted in a couple of tablespoons of warm water. Leave to cook over a low heat. Then, add a pinch of salt and the tomato pulp. Add a cup of water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. When the octopus and the squid are nearly done, add the prawns and the mussels. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve in bowls, poured over slices of toasted bread.
Buon appetito!
P.S. I slightly changed the recipe to match my taste. But if you prefer richer broth - you can add 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 red pepper, 1 stick of celery. If you wish to have more fish - you can add 300 g dogfish, 300 g rockfish (or monkfish, or tub gurnard), 300 g mullet fish. Make sure you clean the fish before cooking.
One of the best places to try Cacciucco in Livorno is L’Ostricaio - a small fish restaurant located very close to the port on Viale Italia 100. Along the way, you can find other restaurants that offer fine Italian cuisine and amazing sea views along the coast. It is perfect for a walk after lunch or around sunset.