Cacciucco fish stew over toasted bread
Braised cephalopods topped with fish and shellfish cooked under a lid, served over garlic-rubbed toast.
Active time1 h 15 min
Cooking1 h
Total1 h 45 min
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Ingredients
- 3 sage leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 100 g live shell-on mussels
- 150 ml ready-to-use fish stock
- 50 g tomato paste
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small dried red chilli
- 1 pinch of fine salt
- 100 ml dry red wine
- 4 slices of wheat country bread
- 400 g raw skinned smooth-hound with cartilage, Mustelus mustelus
- 400 g prepared raw red gurnard with bones
- 500 g cleaned raw musky octopus, Eledone moschata
- 500 g cleaned raw cuttlefish
- 4 whole raw spottail mantis shrimps, Squilla mantis
Preparation
Ask the fishmonger for cleaned octopus and cuttlefish, with viscera, beaks and cuttlebone removed. Rinse briefly, pat dry and cut into thin strips. Peel and chop 2 garlic cloves, wash and chop sage. Heat all oil in a large casserole and fry garlic, sage and whole chilli for about 2 min without burning. Add octopus and cook gently for 15 min, then add cuttlefish for about 5 min. Dissolve tomato paste in all the hot stock, add with wine and salt and braise gently for about 20 min, stirring. Check cephalopods are tender. Extend before adding fish if needed.
3 sage leaves3 garlic cloves150 ml ready-to-use fish stock50 g tomato paste45 ml extra virgin olive oil1 small dried red chilli1 pinch of fine salt100 ml dry red wine500 g cleaned raw musky octopus, Eledone moschata500 g cleaned raw cuttlefish- knife
- chopping board
- large casserole
- spoon
Scrub and debeard mussels. Discard broken ones or those that do not close. Check prepared gurnard and smooth-hound pieces and whole mantis shrimps. Remove chilli, lay fish over cephalopods and add mussels and mantis shrimps. Cover and cook gently for about 10 min until fish and crustaceans are opaque throughout and mussels open. Extend according to size. Discard unopened mussels. Add a little hot stock as needed if the bottom dries.
100 g live shell-on mussels400 g raw skinned smooth-hound with cartilage, Mustelus mustelus400 g prepared raw red gurnard with bones4 whole raw spottail mantis shrimps, Squilla mantis- shellfish brush
- large casserole
- lid
- kitchen tongs
- spoon
During final cooking, toast all bread slices for about 3 min, watching closely. Peel and cut the remaining 1 garlic clove and rub it over hot toast. Place bread in deep plates and divide all stew and juices over it. Remove bones, cartilage, shells and carapaces while eating.
4 slices of wheat country bread- oven
- baking sheet
- knife
- plate
- ladle
Allergens
- Celery
- Fish
- Molluscs
- Sulphites
Composition to check for: Crustaceans, Eggs, Gluten, Lupin, Milk, Mustard, Tree nuts, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy.
Sources and credits
Photo: Au Menu — created with ImageGen at Roch’s request · Editorial permission from Roch for Au Menu; OpenAI terms
Au Menu · AI-generated illustration