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Cacciucco

Posted March 22, 2010 by Sharon 8 Comments

cacciucco

Every coastal region of Italy has a seafood stew. Tuscany— or more specifically the port town of Livorno—has cacciucco (ka-CHOO-ko). While the word is fun to pronounce, the dish is even more pleasurable to eat.

I yearn for cacciucco in the spring. It was in primavera that I first tasted cacciucco at Trattoria Benvenuto in Florence and I haven’t been the same since.

Some say the dish must have at least five types of seafood to correspond to the five Cs in the word. The more fish and shellfish, the better the flavor. And select good quality red wine and artisanal quality bread with good texture to soak up the amazing broth.

Choose the freshest fish available. Use one type or as many as three or four, to comprise 2 pounds. Sea bass, monkfish, cod, halibut, swordfish, shark, tilapia, turbot, catfish, or red snapper are all good choices.

As for the shellfish, in this recipe, I’m using littleneck clams and shrimp but baby calamari, octopus, mussels, or scallops may be substituted.

Cacciucco

Serves 6 to 8

3/4       cup olive oil
1          large red onion, coarsely chopped
4          large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2    teaspoons dried crushed red-pepper flakes
1           cup dry red wine
1        can (28 ounces) crushed plum tomatoes
1/2       cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
24       littleneck clams
24                medium or large unpeeled shrimp
2 to 2 1/2         pounds mild white-fleshed fish fillets, cut in 2-inch chunks
3          cups cold water
6 to 8 thick slices Rustic Bread, toasted

Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook at a brisk simmer for 5 minutes or until the wine no longer smells of alcohol. Add the tomatoes, all but 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat until sauce simmers gently. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, for the flavors to blend.

Add the clams and shrimp; stir. Add the fish and stir gently. Increase the heat to high. Cook for 2 minutes or until liquid starts to bubble. Add the water. Cover and reduce the heat so the mixture simmers but does not boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until the clams open and the other seafood is opaque in the center. Discard any clams that will not open. Spoon over bread set in pasta plates or large shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

What Italian seafood stews have you savored and where? Tell us!

Filed Under: Florence, Food, Italian seafood, Language, Mediterranean diet, Recipes, Tuscan cooking Tagged With: cacciucco, Italian seafood recipe, Italian seafood stew, Livorno

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Comments

  1. Steven says

    July 6, 2011 at 3:52 AM

    There is a grocery store near where we live that sells fresh frozen mixed seafood. I used 1 1/2 lb of that and I used a jar of canned tomatoes that I put up last fall. This was a very fast and healthy dinner to put together. Quite delicious. Will definitely make again.

    Reply
  2. Amy says

    June 10, 2010 at 11:32 PM

    Italian foods are awesome! I love spaghetti too, the Italian style is very yummy :)..That is not familiar with me but I’m sure I would love it. Thanks

    Reply
  3. Mara says

    April 6, 2010 at 8:56 AM

    MMmm, I’m going to try this with tilapia…. thanks a lot for your blog. I’ve been brushing up on my Italian cooking, studying Italian too on Babel — (http://www.babel.com). It’s been rewarding to learn about the food and the language in tandem.

    Keep it up!

    Reply
  4. The Food Hunter says

    March 23, 2010 at 11:34 AM

    Delcious!!! You have me yearning for this right now!!

    Reply
  5. Denny says

    March 23, 2010 at 9:51 AM

    I Prepare cacciucco always with fresh ingredients. Last week, I have made this. Really nice!

    Reply
  6. Patty says

    March 22, 2010 at 7:35 PM

    Oh wow that looks and sounds fantastic, I can’t wait to try it out! Unfortunately I haven’t had much experience with Italian foods besides spaghetti.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      March 23, 2010 at 11:09 AM

      Patty,

      Trying new Italian dishes is a wonderful introduction into the culture. Go for it.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Top 10 foods you must eat in Tuscany | Tuscanycious says:
    April 8, 2010 at 5:19 AM

    […] Cacciucco – FISH STEW – Walter Sanders […]

    Reply

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