Abruzzo (Vasto), central Italy
Vasto's fish stew is distinguished from all other Adriatic brodetti by one irreplaceable ingredient: sweet bell peppers (peperoni dolci) cooked into the base — not as garnish but as a structural flavour component. A soffritto of olive oil, onion and garlic is built, then sliced sweet peppers are cooked until completely soft and beginning to caramelise. White wine deglazes, followed by crushed tomatoes. The fish is added in sequence by cooking time — first firm-fleshed cuttlefish or squid, then monkfish or bream, then clams and mussels added last. The stew simmers uncovered over medium heat, each fish type added at precisely the right moment. No bread thickening, no cream — the sweet pepper caramelisation and reduced fish juices provide all the body.
Sweet, caramelised pepper as the bass note; briny shellfish; delicate white fish; tomato acidity; olive oil richness — a brodetto that is sweeter and more complex than its Adriatic counterparts.
{"The sweet peppers must be fully softened and beginning to caramelise before any liquid is added — this is the flavour foundation of this brodetto and not optional","Add fish in reverse order of cooking time: firm white fish first, shellfish last","Keep the stew at a steady simmer, not a boil — boiling toughens the fish and causes the shellfish to seize","Do not cover after the fish is added: evaporation concentrates the broth","Resist stirring once the fish is in — prod gently with a wooden spoon to avoid breaking fillets"}
{"Use a generous quantity of white wine — at least 200ml per kilo of fish — to ensure the base has proper acidity","Reserve the mussel and clam cooking liquor (if opening separately) and add to the stew for extra depth","A final drizzle of raw olive oil and torn flat-leaf parsley added off heat is the standard finish"}
{"Adding peppers raw with the liquid and cooking them through — the caramelisation step is what distinguishes the Vastese brodetto; without it the dish lacks depth","Using a single type of fish: the complexity of brodetto comes from the layering of different fish flavours and textures","Over-cooking the shellfish by adding too early — clams and mussels need only 3–4 minutes","Serving immediately: the stew should rest 5 minutes off heat before serving so the fish relaxes"}
La Cucina Abruzzese: Ricette della Tradizione Contadina e Pastorizia