Brodetto (Italian fisherman’s stew)

Name: Brodetto (Italian fisherman’s stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp fennel seeds; 1 onion, chopped; 1 small fennel bulb, chopped and fronds reserved; 2 celery sticks, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 250ml dry white wine; Pinch saffron; 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 1 litre fish stock; 8 langoustines or large shell-on prawns; 250g white fish fillets such as cod or hake, cut into large chunks; 300g mussels, scrubbed; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; Crusty bread to serve (optional)

Portion size: Serves 4
Hands-on time 20 min. Simmering time 30 min
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Gluten-free

Pollyanna Coupland

Food producer, delicious.

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A properly authentic brodetto (Italian fish stew) from Ancone, in Le Marche, contains an unfeasible 13 types of fish and shellfish to symbolise Jesus and his disciples. Typically it was a mix of whatever the fishermen couldn’t sell. This makes a true brodetto a rather expensive affair today. We’ve kept it simpler with white fish, mussels and langoustines, but you can go all out and add as many (or as few) fish and shellfish as you like – the flavoursome tomato, fennel and saffron broth is the real star of the show.

This central region has some great dishes, be they from its long stretch of coastline or further inland. Meat and fish are enjoyed in equal measure, with the former often barbecued and the latter cooked in rustic stews and soups. Fritto misto – a mix of meat, veg and fish, breadcrumbed/battered and deep-fried – is popular in restaurants, while olives all’ascolana (stuffed with ragù and deep-fried) is a god-tier aperitivo snack. Discover all the good stuff Le Marche has to offer in our food lover’s guide to the region.

Before you start

If you have homemade fish stock stashed away in the freezer, this is the time to use it – it’ll make a huge difference to the final flavour.

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Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, chopped and fronds reserved
2 celery sticks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
250ml dry white wine
Pinch saffron
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 litre fish stock
8 langoustines or large shell-on prawns
250g white fish fillets such as cod or hake, cut into large chunks
300g mussels, scrubbed
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Crusty bread to serve (optional)

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Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or hob-safe casserole (one with a lid) over a medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the chopped onion, fennel, celery and garlic. Cook for 7 minutes until softened, then pour in the wine and sprinkle in the saffron. Leave to bubble until reduced by roughly half (about 6 minutes). Pour in the tomatoes and fish stock, bring back to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Taste and season the broth with salt and pepper.
Add the langoustines or prawns, then cover with a lid and cook for 3 minutes. Add the fish, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, then finally nestle in the mussels, replace the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes until most of them have opened up. Sprinkle with the reserved fennel fronds and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread, if you like.