Brodetto -The Fish Stew of Vasto, The Way Giancarlo Makes It
Like the rest of Italian cuisine, the true delicacies of Abruzzo stem from the food of poor farmers, shepherds and fisherman. Giancarlo Spadacini, a native son of Vasto, makes this hearty fish stew better than anyone I know.

Vasto’s strong link to the sea is exemplified by its celebrated fish stew, Brodetto Vastese. It is a dish inseparable from the history of the Abruzzo coast, the town of Vasto and of the trabocci, the elaborate fishing piers that rise like rickety sculptures from the coastal waters. These structures enabled people from the villages and farms along the coast to supplement their diets and incomes by fishing, without having to expose themselves to the dangers of the open sea. The fishermen would sell or barter the most sought-after part of their catch, for other goods, food stuffs and supplies, and keep the less desirable, small fish for their family’s consumption. These tasty fish, shrimps, mussels, langoustine, squid, octopuses and rays were stewed in a rich tomato broth and served in a terracotta bowl with thick slices of toasted bread.

Note: The recipe calls for small fish about 20 centimeters. Here are some suggestions. Use whatever is fresh at the local shops or harbor. A portion of a genuine Brodetto alle Vastese has half a dozen different types of fish, vongole mussels, rays, octopus and shrimp.

Ingredients for four portions:

600 g monkfish

150 g sole

700 g turbot

600 g sea bream

400 g red mullet

300 g squid

300 g cuttle fish

12 langoustines

15 or 20 large prawns

150 g black mussels (cozze with shell)

150 g small clams (vongole with shell)

800 g canned peeled tomatoes  

1 glass of white wine vinegar

2 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of parsley

4 basil leaves

1 fresh chili pepper (or a teaspoon dried)

 Extra virgin olive oil

 Salt as needed

Procedure:

Soak the mussels in a bowl of cold salted water to clear them of sand. After, place them in a covered saucepan over high heat, until they have opened. Remove them and save the liquid.

Clean and rinse all the fish thoroughly, or have the fish shop do it.

Sauté the garlic in olive oil over low heat.

Pour the olive oil and garlic into a large terracotta pot.

Mix with the vinegar, and when it has evaporated, add the tomato paste, chopped chili peppers, and salt and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. If the sauce thickens, add the liquid from the mussels and a little water.

Cut the cleaned squid into rings and add them to the tomato sauce along with the scorpionfish and monkfish cut into 3 pieces (depending on size) and cook in the tomato puree.

Gradually add the rest of the fish and mussels. Depending on their size and thickness the fish will have different cooking times.

Serve the brodetto in the terracotta pan that it is boiled in, together with thick slices of roasted bread to soak up the sauce.