Pan-cooked fish and potato stew (stufato di cefalo)
"The marshy waters that run through the lowlands of Emilia-Romagna could be called ‘acque di mezzo’ (waters that lie between land and sea). They are home to varieties of seafood that can tolerate lower salt levels, such as squid, eel and mullet.
"In his online recipe booklet Ricette di Cucina delle ‘Acque di Mezzo’, Sandro Bignami describes some of the dishes of the lowlands, combining elements of the land and the sea. This recipe is taken from the book, slightly tweaked. It’s one of those one-pot dishes that make cooking for a group so easy. Pancetta, onions and butter are slowly braised to make a well-seasoned base for baby potatoes and bites of tender fish. Serve from the pan at the table, adding a good sprinkling of parsley and spring onion at the end. If you cannot find mullet, trevally or snapper makes a good substitute." – Paola Bacchia
This is an edited extract from Adriatico by Paola Bacchia, published by Smith Street Books, AUD$55.00, available now.
Ingredients (11)
- 40g butter
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 60g pancetta, finely diced
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 350g small new potatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup (80ml) tomato passata
- 500g mullet, trevally or snapper fillets, skin and bones removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
- Sliced long green shallot, to garnish
- Crusty bread, to serve
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
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1.Place the butter and olive oil in a large frypan over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened and starting to release its fat. Add the onion and cook gently for about 20 minutes, or until well softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant, then add the potato, passata and 1 cup (250ml) of water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until the potato is just cooked through but still firm.
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2.Add the fish and cook, covered, for another 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes or so if there is too much sauce. Season to taste with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with parsley and sliced shallot and serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.
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