Name: Brodetto allo zafferano (Saffron Fish Soup)
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 6 to 8 slices coarse country bread, toasted or grilled; Pinch of chile pepper flakes (optional); Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or fennel fronds for garnish (optional); freshly ground black pepper; 1 pound very large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (optional); 1 cup dry white wine; 4 cups fish stock or water; 1 pound squid or cuttlefish, cleaned, bodies cut into rings, and tentacles halved if large (about ½ pound after cleaning); A splash or more of white wine vinegar; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons hot water; 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed; 2 pounds thick fish steaks, cut into 2- or 3-inch pieces, or 2 pounds small whole fish, cleaned; Fresh lemon juice; Salt; Extra virgin olive oil for rubbing on fish, plus 3 tablespoons

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Italian Slow and Savory

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2004

About

Brodetto is possibly the oldest Mediterranean fish soup. Needless to say, its makeup varies widely from town to town and, like most fish soups, it is dependent on the day’s catch. Fish that may be included are red and gray mullet, squid, sole, scorpionfish, monkfish, and dogfish. Smaller fish are usually cooked whole, with their heads intact. Sometimes, as in versions from the Veneto and Friuli, there are no tomatoes, but there may be, in addition to the white wine, a good splash of