Brodetto (Fish Stew) Ancona-Style

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, Dutch oven, or preferably a clay pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaves, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in mashed tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Add fish. Pour in vinegar or wine. Cook until liquid has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes; pour in fish stock. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Gently mix in clams. Cook until clams have opened (discard any that don't open), about 2 minutes, and then stir in shrimp. Cook until shrimp are pink, about 3 minutes.

4. Place a slice of toasted bread in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle brodetto over bread and serve immediately.

Tips

You can use 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of any mixed fish; swordfish, squid, red snapper, shrimp, clams, mussels, and lobster. Clean the clams and mussels well and put them into the stew whole. When I make brodetto for a large group, I cook the whole lobster in the stew, then remove the meat from the tail, chop it, and put it in the stew. I put the whole remaining lobster shell on top for presentation.

Some versions of brodetto use saffron instead of red pepper flakes and white wine instead of vinegar. You can substitute rice for the bread, as well.