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Seafood Pancotto

17/11/2023

Seafood Pancotto is a variation of a simple and rustic dish from the Italian tradition, enriched with seafood. Here’s the recipe for preparing a delicious Seafood Pancotto, keeping in mind a fusion between tradition and maritime flavor.

Ingredients

  • 200 g of stale bread
  • 200 g of mussels
  • 200 g of clams
  • 200 g of shrimp
  • 200 g of previously boiled octopus
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Parsley to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 liter of fish broth
  • 200 g of peeled tomatoes
  • Red chili pepper (optional)

Preparation

  1. Start by cleaning the seafood well. For mussels and clams, make sure they are well closed and let them purge in salted water for a few hours, then rinse under running water. Shell the shrimp and remove the intestine.
  2. In a large pan, fry the chopped garlic with extra virgin olive oil and, if you like, a piece of chili pepper.
  3. Add the mussels and clams, cover with a lid and let them open over high heat, shaking the pan from time to time. Once open, remove most of the shells, leaving some for decoration.
  4. Add the octopus cut into pieces and the shrimp. Sauté everything for a few minutes.
  5. Remove the garlic and add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them. Cook for about 10 minutes.
  6. In the meantime, cut the stale bread into cubes and add it to the pan with the seafood, mixing well.
  7. Pour in the hot fish broth gradually, making sure that the bread softens well without completely disintegrating, and to obtain a soft but not too liquid consistency.
  8. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the pancotto reaches the desired consistency, adjusting with salt and pepper.
  9. Finish with chopped fresh parsley.

Serve hot, perhaps with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and some shells placed as decoration on the plate.

Curiosity

Pancotto, which literally means “cooked bread,” has very ancient origins and was cooked by peasants using dry bread soaked in water or broth, occasionally enriched with vegetables or simple ingredients. The seafood version is a reinterpretation that embraces the gifts of the Italian coast.

Seafood Pancotto