Brodetto alla Marchigiana — Adriatic Fish Stew

The Marche Adriatic coast — each port town has its variant, from Fano (onion-forward) to Ancona (saffron-forward) to San Benedetto del Tronto (tomato-heavy). The 13-fish version is considered the complete brodetto; the number is sometimes said to mirror the 13 guests at the Last Supper.

The Marche has one of the longest Adriatic coastlines in Italy, and each port town from Pesaro to San Benedetto del Tronto has its own version of brodetto — the Adriatic fish stew that is the counterpart of Tuscany's cacciucco, Puglia's brodet, and Liguria's ciuppin. The Marchigiani brodetto uses a wider variety of fish than most (typically 13 varieties — a number with culinary tradition behind it), a vinegar-forward base, and saffron from the nearby Abruzzese production. The broth is not creamy or thick — it is clean, golden-orange from the saffron, with a slight acidity from the vinegar, and intensely flavoured from the fish.

The Marchigiani brodetto broth is golden from saffron, slightly acid from vinegar, and tastes of the sea — each fish contributing a different note to the collective flavour. The mantis shrimp adds sweetness; the cuttlefish adds depth; the clams add brine. The bread soaked in the broth is as good as the fish.