Description
Brodetto Ancona-Style is a traditional Italian fish stew featuring red snapper, clams, and shrimp simmered with aromatic vegetables, fresh parsley, garlic, and tomatoes in a rich fish broth. This hearty coastal dish is served over toasted Italian bread, soaking up the flavorful, slightly tangy broth enhanced with white vinegar and red pepper flakes for a subtle kick.
Ingredients
Scale
Aromatics
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Main Ingredients
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
- 1.5 pounds red snapper fillets, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 0.5 cup white vinegar
- 3 cups fish stock
- 1 pound clams in shell, scrubbed
- 0.5 pound medium shrimp, with shells
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
To Serve
- 6 (3/4 inch thick) slices Italian bread, toasted
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, Dutch oven, or a clay pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, carrot, parsley, garlic, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the onion softens and becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer: Stir in the mashed whole peeled tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes to develop the flavors.
- Cook Fish: Add the red snapper pieces and white vinegar to the pot. Cook the mixture until most of the liquid evaporates, approximately 10 minutes.
- Add Fish Stock and Simmer: Pour in the fish stock, cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 10 minutes to infuse the broth with flavor.
- Cook Clams: Gently stir in the scrubbed clams and cook until they open, about 2 minutes. Discard any clams that remain closed.
- Add Shrimp: Stir in the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, approximately 3 minutes. Season the stew with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Place one slice of toasted Italian bread in the bottom of each bowl. Spoon the hot brodetto over the bread and serve immediately, allowing the bread to soak up the flavorful broth.
Notes
- Use fresh fish stock for the best flavor. If unavailable, a high-quality seafood broth or clam juice can be substituted.
- If white vinegar is too strong, white wine can be used as a milder alternative.
- Scrub clams thoroughly to remove sandy grit before adding them to the stew.
- Discard any clams that do not open after cooking to avoid food safety issues.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the crispy toasted bread softened by the broth.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to desired spiciness.
