San Benedetto fish stew (brodetto alla sambenedettese)

The brodetto of San Benedetto del Tronto was born on the boats: fishermen cooked it on board with the least prized fish of the day. You can tell it by the peppers, the green, unripe tomatoes and the white wine vinegar, which gives it its tangy note. There is no single recipe, every family has its own: this is the most common home version.

Ingredients for 4

• 1.2 kg mixed Adriatic fish, cleaned: for example monkfish, gurnard, scorpionfish, skate, smooth-hound, hake, red mullet
• 1 large cuttlefish
• 1 white onion
• 2 green peppers (many homes also use red and yellow ones)
• 3 green tomatoes
• 1 glass of white wine vinegar
• About 100 ml IL CONTE Blend
• Chilli (optional) and salt
• Slices of toasted country bread

Method

1. Scale the fish and remove the fins: leave the smaller ones whole and cut the larger ones, such as skate and monkfish, into steaks. Clean the cuttlefish and cut it into pieces.
2. In a wide, shallow pan, slowly soften the chopped onion in the oil. Add the cuttlefish and let it take on flavour for a few minutes.
3. Add the peppers and green tomatoes in pieces, a pinch of salt, chilli if you like and a glass of hot water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables break down and the cuttlefish is almost cooked.
4. Lay the fish in a single layer, starting with the firmest (scorpionfish, gurnard, monkfish) and ending with the most delicate (skate, red mullet). Cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, adding hot water only if needed. Do not stir: shake the pan now and then so it does not stick.
5. Just before turning off the heat, pour in the vinegar and let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then adjust the salt. Let it rest for a few minutes and serve with the toasted bread.

The right oil

In brodetto the oil cooks with the fish and becomes the sauce: tradition calls for extra virgin olive oil from the Marche hills. This is a job for the Blend, made for everyday cooking; if brodetto is a family ritual, the 3-litre tin is the right size.

Photo: Luigi936, Wikimedia Commons, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.