Ancona-style stockfish

Ancona-style stockfish is a dish of patience: few ingredients, very long cooking over the lowest heat and plenty of extra virgin olive oil, which in the end becomes the sauce. Buy the stockfish already soaked: doing it at home takes several days.

Ingredients for 6

• 1.2 kg stockfish, already soaked
• 1 kg potatoes
• 400 g peeled tomatoes (or ripe tomatoes)
• 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 anchovy fillets in oil
• 1 sprig of rosemary and a handful of parsley
• A handful of black olives
• 1 large glass of dry white wine, such as Verdicchio
• 200 ml IL CONTE Blend
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Remove the skin and the larger bones from the stockfish and cut it into large pieces.
2. Chop the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, parsley and anchovies. Warm half the oil in a small pan and let the mixture soften over gentle heat for a few minutes.
3. In a wide, shallow pan arrange the stockfish in a single layer, cover it with the chopped mixture and the crushed tomatoes, then with the potatoes peeled and cut into wedges and the olives. Season with pepper and only a little salt: the stockfish and anchovies are already savoury.
4. Pour in the wine and the rest of the oil. Cook over high heat for about 20 minutes, then cover and leave over the lowest heat for about 3 hours without stirring: shake the pan now and then so it does not stick.
5. Remove the lid towards the end so the sauce reduces, then let it rest. Serve it warm, without stirring.

The right oil

Here the oil cooks for a long time and in quantity: that is the job of the Blend, made for everyday cooking. For a dish like this, the 3 or 5 litre tin is the right size.