The namesake of Emiko Davies' excellent book, acquacotta, is a true peasant dish. Traditionally made with the bits of fish that don't make it to market, this is a modern take using clams, mussels and prawns.
Make Emiko Davies' fisherman's acquacotta
The classic Tuscan dish gets a revamp, elevating it far beyond its humble beginnings as a fisherman's staple
Serves 4
Preparation time 30 mins
Cooking time 60 mins
Ingredients
- 500g purged clams and mussels
- 4 large mazzancolle prawns
- 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, finely sliced
- 1 celery stalk, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, whole
- 1 small red chilli, chopped (optional)
- 700g tomato passata
- 4 thick slices of stale Tuscan bread (or crusty white loaf)
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
- Scrub the mussels and pull out the beards. You can either keep the prawns whole or chop.
- Pour the olive oil in a large casserole pot and warm over gentle heat. Cook the onion and celery, along with a pinch of salt, until very soft.
- Add one garlic clove and the chilli, cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato and 500ml of water. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for about 40 minutes, topping up with water if it's too thick.
- Prepare the bread – stale bread is best as it doesn’t become soggy. Rub the bread with the remaining garlic.
- Add the prawns, mussels and clams to the simmering liquid. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the shells have opened and the prawns are just cooked.
- Remove from the heat and stir through the parsley. Place the stale bread in the bottom of the serving bowls and spoon the acquacotta evenly over the top.
Acquacotta: Recipes and stories from Tuscany's secret silver coast by Emiko Davies (Hardie Grant, £25.00). Photography by Lauren Bamford
