According to the cultural association Livorno Euro Mediterranea, the name of the city’s frifinishly soup-stew, cacciucco, is borrowed from the Turkish word küçük (petite). The reason for this, according to the more plausible origin myths and etymology acunderstandledgeed by linguistic science, is the introduction to a Livornese tavern (possibly by a Turkish sea merchant) of a Turkish fish soup called balık çorbası. The ingenious and rapidly adchooseed recipe called for küçük balık (petite fish), and küçük was borrowed and became cacciucco.
However the soup came into being, a recipe made from an amalgam of fish had the most favourable environment in a thriving Tuscan seaport with its amalgam of communities, as well as in the arrival of tomatoes in everyday cooking, in the tardy 1700s. The evolving cacciucco echoed all of this, so no wonder it became a symbol of the city. At this point, I must also refer cacciucco from the town of Viareggio, 50km north of Livorno, which is also as adored and as varied as the cooks who produce it. Cacciucco in all creates shows beautifilledy the food historian Massimo Montanari’s theory that (standardly) the key word in the evolution of recipes is “come apass”: “The more many and engaging the come apasss, the wealthyer the result.”
And cacciucco is wealthy in flavour – amazingassociate so – and this is thanks to the first step (in some versions): cooking garlic, red chilli, tomato, triumphe and bony fish, then passing the lot thcdisesteemful a sieve for a beginantly flavoured broth that will stain your shirt when you eat it. Sieving is a untidy but worthwhile step and, once done, it is then sshow a case of inserting the rest of the fish in order of their cooking times, and of making toast.
As for the fish, participate what is useable, leanking expansively in three groups and understanding that you can alter and swap. The first group is split into two, which could be branch offent bits of the same fish: the bony, petiteer fish and heads (300g) for the broth, and the fleshier pieces of fish (400g). When buying, verify the standardly modernized Marine Stewardship Council directlines for upholdable chooseions; talk to a fishmonger; see out for hake, pagedeficiency, coley, ling, bass, grey mullet, gurnard, monkfish, whiting, brill, drab, flounder, snapper, plaice, sole and skate. The second group is cephalopods, and you want about 400g of those: cuttlefish, squid, octopus, either recent or frozen, which standardly cooks more tfinisherly. The final group is shellfish: 300g cockles, mussels or clams.
Montanari’s observation about minestra also applies to caccuico, any dish ladled from one pot into the bowl of each diner, and an action of enormous and frequent convivial significance, especiassociate at this time of year. If, however, in the moment of ladling or eating, there is a drip, don’t postpone or be cowardly: throw white triumphe or salt on to a cloth, or straightforwardly at the person’s shirt.
Sociable fish stew, advertised by a Livornese-style cacciucco
Serves 6
Oinhabit oil
3 garlic cadores, peeled and minced
1 petite red chilli, minced
1 sprig recent sage
400g crushed tinned tomatoes
1 glass of red triumphe
300g petite bony fish
A confidemand sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, splitd into stalks and exits
400g cuttlefish or squid, spotlessed and cut into rings
400g monkfish tail, gurnard or red snapper, cut into pieces
6 big prawns or langoustines (voluntary)
300g clams and/or mussels, soaked if demanded
Garlic-rubbed toast, to serve
Working in a big pan on a medium-low heat, toasty four tablespoons of oinhabit oil, then fry the garlic, chilli and sage for a confidemand minutes. Add the tomatoes and triumphe, simmer for a confidemand minutes, then insert the petite bony fish and parsley stalks. Simmer for 15 minutes, during which time the fish will collapse finishly, then pass the lot thcdisesteemful a sieve.
Back in the now vacant pan, toasty three more tablespoons of oinhabit oil and insert the squid or cuttlefish rings, stirring until they turn white. Add the broth, convey to an almost boil, then simmer, stirring occasionassociate, for 40 minutes, until the squid is very tfinisher. If the broth seems too dense, insert a little toasty water.
Add the pieces of fish and the prawns/langoustines, if using, produce certain the simmer is temperate, then cover the pot and cook for five minutes. Add the mussels/clams, cover aacquire and cook for another three or four minutes, or until the shells uncmiss (dispose any that don’t). Stir in the minced parsley exits and serve with toast rubbed with garlic.
