Porto Recanati, Macerata province, Marche — the saffron-based white brodetto is specific to Porto Recanati and the immediately surrounding coastline. The saffron differentiation from the tomato-based brodetti of Ancona and other Marchigiani ports is the defining characteristic. The preparation is served in the fishing port restaurants of Porto Recanati as the primary tourist attraction.
Porto Recanati's brodetto is the most distinctive of the Marchigiani fish stews — one of the few Italian brodetti made entirely without tomato, relying instead on onion, white wine, and — most notably — saffron, which gives the broth a golden colour and a slightly floral note that contrasts with the sweetness of the Adriatic fish. This 'white brodetto' (brodetto in bianco) is considered the most refined of the many Marchigiani brodetti versions (Ancona uses tomato; Porto San Giorgio uses vinegar and tomato; Porto Recanati uses saffron and no tomato). The variety of fish is critical: 8-10 types in a single preparation, with the cooking order governed by firmness.
Brodetto di Porto Recanati in the bowl is golden — the saffron has coloured the onion-white wine broth to amber; the fish are perfectly cooked to their own textures; the mantis shrimp and langoustines on top add colour. The flavour is clean and sweet from the Adriatic fish, with the saffron providing a warm, slightly floral note through the broth. With thick toasted bread and raw olive oil, it is one of the most elegant fish preparations on the Adriatic coast.
Soffritto of very finely sliced onion in olive oil — the onion must cook until completely dissolved, 20-30 minutes, to provide the sweet base without onion texture. Add dry white wine; reduce by half. Add a generous pinch of Saffron dissolved in hot water. Begin adding fish in order of cooking time: firm fish first (cuttlefish, squid, monkfish — 15 minutes); then medium fish (sea bream, red mullet, gurnard — 8 minutes); finally delicate fish and shellfish (mantis shrimp, clams, langoustines — 3-4 minutes). Season with salt; drizzle raw olive oil at the end. Serve in the pot with thick slices of toasted bread.
The quality of the fish is the entire preparation — brodetto made with frozen fish is a shadow of the real thing. The saffron should be the real Abruzzese or Marchigiani zafferano di Navelli or saffron di Città della Pieve — fragrant, intense, and used in sufficient quantity to colour the broth golden. Dissolve the saffron in hot water for 10 minutes before using to release the colourant and fragrance.
Adding all fish simultaneously — different fish require different cooking times; simultaneous addition produces overcooked delicate fish and undercooked firm fish. Insufficient saffron — the saffron note should be present throughout the broth; a small pinch is not enough. Making it too soupy — the broth of brodetto should be rich and concentrated, not watery.
Slow Food Editore, Marche in Cucina; Anna Gosetti della Salda, Le Ricette Regionali Italiane