Recipe & Pairing | Uliassi's Il brodetto (Seafood stew)
Maria Pasquale’s “Mangia” (available now!) is everything you could want in a culinary guide through Italy’s 20 regions - a celebration of the food and drink that makes Italy so great. From food histories to famed produce, discover the ultimate experiences & dishes to try (along with what drinks to pair them with, of course).
And the best part? Every chapter includes a recipe to experience a bite of Italy in your own kitchen, written by chefs who run some of the world’s best kitchens. Take this seafood stew (aka Il brodetto) from the three Michelin-star(!) Uliassi.
If you’re looking for greatness in the wine pairing too, here’s our tip - plus a couple of in stock recommendations.
Pairing tip: “Considering the reputation of Uliassi (it’s in the World’s Top 50 restaurants for a good reason) pressure’s on for me to pick something exceptional. So let’s do exactly that. Uliassi sits quite near to verdicchio heartlands, but considering it’s a grape quite rare for our shores, there's a few other delicious white wines to pair here. Think Soave, trebbiano, arneis if you want to keep things Italian inspired, semillon or a lean chardonnay (think Yarra Valley) if you’d like to keep it ‘Strayan. It’s la dolce vita, whichever way you dice it.” - Nick
Try this with:
Bennati Rocca Bastia Soave Classico DOC 2023
The perfect pairing for a variety of seafood dishes. Bright, gentle on the palate and surprisingly floral. The perfect example of a classic Italian wine crafted in a smooth and flawless modern style. With summer always around the corner, is there any better advice than to drink as the Italians do?
Seville Estate Chardonnay 2021
This is serious stuff. No 'ifs,' 'ands,' or 'buts' - Seville Estate mean business. This is chardonnay with drive and horsepower but uber stylish all the same. All the regional qualities a wine lover could ask for - citrus, creamy nougat, ripping acid, deftly woven, and astounding complexity. It's no wonder this wine is so revered - a genuine standout of the vintage and representative of a winery at the top of its game. So often wineries don't meet the hype, but Seville Estate go beyond it: perfect chardonnay. No notes.
Il brodetto
Seafood stew
BY MAURO ULIASSI, ULIASSI
SERVES 4
"Uliassi is a beach shack turned Italian dining institution. Opened in 1990 by siblings Mauro and Catia Uliassi, the Senigallia beachfront locale was awarded its first Michelin star after ten years. It now boasts three (one of only 11 restaurants in Italy, currently) and has made the cut on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Despite the accolades, it’s still a relaxed family affair, and while Mauro’s menus and dishes are sophisticated, they’re clean and simple at the same time. Beach dining experiences don’t get much better than this. Recreate the feel at home with this brodetto, a rich seafood stew based on local tradition, which has won awards and acclaim for its flavourful decadence. Uliassi’s full recipe is supplied here, but at home you can substitute any of the Italian seafood varieties with what you can source locally. Your fishmonger should be able to guide you."
Ingredients
20 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
400 g (14 oz) datterini, grape or cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
½ small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
250 ml (1 cup) fish fumet (see below)
150 ml (5 fl oz) crab stock (see below)
150 ml (5 fl oz) prawn (shrimp) stock (see below)
80 g (2¾ oz) turbot, cut into four even fillets
80 g (2¾ oz) sea bass, cut into 4 even fillets
80 g (2¾ oz) monkfish, cut into 4 even fillets
80 g (2¾ oz) skate, cut into 4 even fillets
80 g (2¾ oz) dogfish, cut into 4 even fillets
8 cuttlefish, cleaned
4 large prawns (shrimp) (60 g/2 oz each), split lengthways
4 tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp)
4 grancelle crabs
¼ teaspoon cuttlefish ink
70 ml (2½ fl oz) cuttlefish stock (see below)
8 cooked mantis shrimp, peeled
12 pencil squid or young squid, cleaned, tentacles removed
chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve
toasted rustic bread, to serve
Crab, prawn and cuttlefish stocks, plus fish fumet
150–200 g (5½–7 oz) each of heads, shells and offcuts from crab, prawns (shrimp) and cuttlefish (ask your fishmonger for these)
4 onions, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
12 black peppercorns
50 ml (1¾ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
350 g (12½ oz) fish bones, skin and offcuts (ask your fishmonger for these)
175 ml (6 fl oz) white wine
Clam water
16 clams, purged
When purchasing the ingredients, ask your fishmonger for left-over offcuts and bones of fish, crab, prawns and cuttlefish to be used for the stocks.
To make the crab, prawn and cuttlefish stocks, place the heads, shells and offcuts in three separate small saucepans. Add one-quarter of the onion, carrot and celery to each pan, along with three black peppercorns and a pinch of salt, then cover with 500 ml (2 cups) of cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, to release the flavours. Strain each saucepan and set aside.
For the fish fumet, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining vegetables and cook for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Stir in the fish offcuts, followed by the white wine, then bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the alcohol has evaporated. Add enough water (about 750 ml/3 cups) to just cover the fish and add the remaining peppercorns and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil again, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and skimming any scum that rises to the surface, for 1 hour. Strain the fumet and set aside.
For the clam water, place the clams in a saucepan and add 200 ml (7 fl oz) of cold water. Cover with a lid, place over high heat and bring to the boil. Shake the pan and cook the clams for 1–2 minutes, until they open, then strain and reserve the water. Discard any unopened clams and set the rest aside.
Place the mussels in a large saucepan and add 200 ml (7 fl oz) of cold water. Cover with a lid, place over high heat and bring to the boil. Shake the pan and cook the mussels for 2–3 minutes, until they open. Discard any unopened mussels and set the rest aside.
Score a cross in the base of the tomatoes, place in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Drain after 1 minute or when the skins loosen around the base. Refresh in cold water, then peel
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add half the onion and two of the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add half of the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, until softened. Add the red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan, then add 100 ml (3½ fl oz) of the fish fumet, along with the crab stock, prawn stock and 100 ml (3½ fl oz) of the reserved clam water.
Cook for 10 minutes over medium–low heat, then add all of the fish, the cuttlefish, prawns and crab. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the seafood is half cooked, then use a slotted spoon to remove the seafood and set aside. Strain the remaining liquid in the pan into a clean saucepan, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Pour into a heatproof jug.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining tomatoes, the reduced cooking liquid, cuttlefish ink, another 100 ml (3½ fl oz) of the clam water and the cuttlefish stock. Simmer for 2 minutes, then strain and transfer the liquid to a large saucepan, add the half-cooked seafood, along with the mantis shrimp, and set over medium heat.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan or griddle pan over high heat until very hot, then sear the squid on one side for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and add the squid to the fish stew. Increase the heat, add the cooked mussels and clams and cook for another minute until heated through.
Spoon the fish stew in a large serving dish or divide among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and freshly cracked black pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with slices of toasted rustic bread to mop up the juices.
Recipe & images taken from “Mangia” by Maria Pasquale, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $49.99).