Livorno fishermen created cacciucco using exactly 5 fish types—one for each 'C' in the name—to avoid wasting daily catch.
Cacciucco
Dive into the flavors of Tuscany with Cacciucco, a hearty seafood stew that brings the ocean to your table! This delightful dish is packed with an array of fresh fish and succulent shellfish, all simmered to perfection in a rich tomato broth infused with garlic and a splash of red wine. Perfect for cozy dinners, this Italian classic will warm your soul and impress your guests!
Prep
30
min
Cook
50
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- Chopped parsley, to finishoptional
- 1 tbsp tomato concentrate (15 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 300–500 g mixed fish for broth and meat — such as: Scorfano (scorpionfish), Gallinella (red gurnard), Tracina (weeverfish), Pesce prete (stargazer), Palombo (dogfish) (0.66 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- Olive oil
- 8 slices rustic Tuscan bread, grilled and rubbed with garlic
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 bay leaf
- A few sage leavesoptional
- Salt and black pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- 1 glass (about 200 ml) red wine (6.76 fl oz)
- White wine for deglazing the stock
📦Other(5)
- 500 g mixed cephalopods (squid, seppie, totani) (17.6 oz)
- 500 g octopus (polpo) or moscardini (17.6 oz)moscardini
- 1 red chili
- 500 g ripe tomatoes or tomato passata (17.6 oz)tomato passata
- 300–500 g shellfish and crustaceans (mussels, clams, shrimp, or scampi) (0.66 lbs)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Clean the fish and shellfish. Use fish scraps (heads and bones) to prepare a stock: brown in olive oil, deglaze with white wine, then add chopped carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and enough water to cover. Simmer for 2 hours, then strain.
- 2
Soak clams in salted water for 30 minutes to purge any sand. Scrub and de-beard the mussels.
- 3
In a large pot, heat olive oil and prepare a soffritto with finely chopped garlic, chili, sage, bay leaf, and onion. Cook gently until fragrant.
- 4
Add the octopus and squid to the soffritto and brown briefly to develop flavor.
- 5
Stir in the tomato concentrate and passata, then pour in the red wine and strained fish stock. Bring to a gentle boil.
- 6
Simmer uncovered for 45–50 minutes until the sauce deepens and the seafood is tender.
- 7
Add the chopped fish fillets and shrimp. Let the pot return to a low boil.
- 8
Add the mussels and clams, cover, and cook just until the shells open.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown fish bones at 350°F for 15-20 minutes before making stock to develop deep umami compounds through the Maillard reaction, creating a richer base than raw bones.technique350°F for 15-20 minutes
- ✓Maintain your cacciucco simmer at exactly 185-190°F to break down collagen in tough seafood without overcooking delicate fish proteins.timing185-190°F
- ✓Add firm fish like monkfish or cod 3-4 minutes before delicate fish like sole or sea bass, as dense proteins need 40% more cooking time to reach proper doneness.timing3-4 minutes earlier
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of passata to tomato concentrate for optimal acidity balance - the concentrate provides concentrated flavor while passata maintains proper liquid consistency.ingredient3:1 ratio
- ✓Remove any shellfish that don't open within 5-7 minutes of steaming, as they're likely dead and can release harmful bacteria into the entire stew.timing5-7 minutes maximum
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
50
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Livorno fishermen created cacciucco using exactly 5 fish types—one for each 'C' in the name—to avoid wasting daily catch.
Cacciucco
Dive into the flavors of Tuscany with Cacciucco, a hearty seafood stew that brings the ocean to your table! This delightful dish is packed with an array of fresh fish and succulent shellfish, all simmered to perfection in a rich tomato broth infused with garlic and a splash of red wine. Perfect for cozy dinners, this Italian classic will warm your soul and impress your guests!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- Chopped parsley, to finishoptional
- 1 tbsp tomato concentrate (15 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 300–500 g mixed fish for broth and meat — such as: Scorfano (scorpionfish), Gallinella (red gurnard), Tracina (weeverfish), Pesce prete (stargazer), Palombo (dogfish) (0.66 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- Olive oil
- 8 slices rustic Tuscan bread, grilled and rubbed with garlic
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 bay leaf
- A few sage leavesoptional
- Salt and black pepper
🍯Sauces & Condiments(2)
- 1 glass (about 200 ml) red wine (6.76 fl oz)
- White wine for deglazing the stock
📦Other(5)
- 500 g mixed cephalopods (squid, seppie, totani) (17.6 oz)
- 500 g octopus (polpo) or moscardini (17.6 oz)moscardini
- 1 red chili
- 500 g ripe tomatoes or tomato passata (17.6 oz)tomato passata
- 300–500 g shellfish and crustaceans (mussels, clams, shrimp, or scampi) (0.66 lbs)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Clean the fish and shellfish. Use fish scraps (heads and bones) to prepare a stock: brown in olive oil, deglaze with white wine, then add chopped carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and enough water to cover. Simmer for 2 hours, then strain.
- 2
Soak clams in salted water for 30 minutes to purge any sand. Scrub and de-beard the mussels.
- 3
In a large pot, heat olive oil and prepare a soffritto with finely chopped garlic, chili, sage, bay leaf, and onion. Cook gently until fragrant.
- 4
Add the octopus and squid to the soffritto and brown briefly to develop flavor.
- 5
Stir in the tomato concentrate and passata, then pour in the red wine and strained fish stock. Bring to a gentle boil.
- 6
Simmer uncovered for 45–50 minutes until the sauce deepens and the seafood is tender.
- 7
Add the chopped fish fillets and shrimp. Let the pot return to a low boil.
- 8
Add the mussels and clams, cover, and cook just until the shells open.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown fish bones at 350°F for 15-20 minutes before making stock to develop deep umami compounds through the Maillard reaction, creating a richer base than raw bones.technique350°F for 15-20 minutes
- ✓Maintain your cacciucco simmer at exactly 185-190°F to break down collagen in tough seafood without overcooking delicate fish proteins.timing185-190°F
- ✓Add firm fish like monkfish or cod 3-4 minutes before delicate fish like sole or sea bass, as dense proteins need 40% more cooking time to reach proper doneness.timing3-4 minutes earlier
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of passata to tomato concentrate for optimal acidity balance - the concentrate provides concentrated flavor while passata maintains proper liquid consistency.ingredient3:1 ratio
- ✓Remove any shellfish that don't open within 5-7 minutes of steaming, as they're likely dead and can release harmful bacteria into the entire stew.timing5-7 minutes maximum