Aaccording to the cultural association Livorno Euro Mediterraneanthe name of the city is soup; cacciuccotaken from a Turkish word Small (small). The reason for this, according to the more probable origin of the myth and the etymology accepted by linguistic science, is the introduction to a Livornese tavern (perhaps by a merchant of the Turkish sea) of a fish soup called Turki. fish soup. A clever recipe and quickly adopted Small fish (fish) and Small he borrowed and became a cacciucco.
No matter how the soup existed, the recipe from the group of fish became the most balanced environment in the maritime Tuscan community with its group, as well as the arrival of the tomato in everyday cooking, in the late 1700s. All this was reflected in the unfolding of the cacciucco, lest it should become a symbol of wonder. At this point we must also mention the cacciucco from the town of Viareggio, 50 kilometers north of Livorno, which is also loved as much by the chefs who make it. Cacciucco in all its forms illustrates beautifully the food theory of the historian Massimo Montanari, which is the key word in the evolution of the trigger “encounter”: “The more and the more pleasant the fights, the richer the effect.”
And the cacciucco is rich in flavor – fantastically so – and this is due to the first step (in some versions): cooking garlic, red chilli, tomato, wine and bone fish, then passing the lot through a sieve the tasty broth that is. it will stain your shirt when you eat. Sieving is a mess but worth the effort and, once done, is then simply used to add the rest of the fish through their cooking, and to make the toast.
Use fish things, thinking broadly in three parts, knowing that you can adapt and change. The first batch is divided into two, which can be different of the same fish: bones, smaller fish and heads (300g) for consumption, and fish meat (400g). The purchase check is regularly updated Marine Stewardship Council guidelines for supporting options; to speak fishing; cage, pollack, coley, ling, bass, gray mullet, gurnard, monkfish, albicans, brill, mocha, sparrows, snapper, plaice, sole and perch. The other group is cephalopods, and you want about 400g of them: cuttlefish, squid, octopus, either fresh or frozen, which often cooks more tenderly. The last group is shellfish: 300g of zonis, shells or clams.
Montanari’s observation of soup it also applies to the caccuico, any bowl from one pot to the bowl of each meal, and an action of great and ordinary convivial significance, especially at this time of the year. But if, at the moment of cutting or eating, there is tallow, do not die, or do it timidly: put white wine or salt in a cloth, or directly from his shirt.
A social fish soup, inspired by Livorno-style cacciucco
Servants 6
Olive oil
3 garlic clovesHairless and worn
1 small red chillicrushed
1 the new myrtle of the sage
400g crushed strawberry tomatoes
1 glass of red wine
300g small bony fish
A few flat leaf shoots parsleyseparated into stems and leaves
400 g lolligo or lolligocleaned and cut into rings
400g monkfish, gurnard or red snapperTo break into pieces
6 large shrimps or langoustines (optional) back
300g of clams and/or hippopotamusWet if needed
I’ll give it a garlic rubTo serve
Working in a large pan over medium heat, heat four tablespoons of olive oil, then fry the garlic, chilli and sage for a while. Add the tomatoes and wine, boil for a few minutes, then add the boneless fish and celery stalks. Boil for 15 minutes, by which time the fish will completely collapse, then pass the lot through a sieve.
Return now to an empty pot, warm three more tablespoons of oil, and add the lollipops or safflower rings, until they turn white. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes, until the lollipop is very tender. If it seems too thick, add a little hot water.
Add the fish pieces and the shrimp/prawns, if using, bring to a gentle boil, then cover the pot and cook for five minutes. Add the clams/clams, cover again and cook for another three to four minutes, or until the shells open (discard any that don’t). Stir in the minced celery leaves and strain the toast with another rub.