Antonio Carluccio, Priscilla Carluccio

Scorfano

Scorpion Fish or Rascasse

Appears in
top 1000Carluccio's Complete Italian Food
Carluccio's Complete Italian Food

By Antonio Carluccio and Priscilla Carluccio

Published 1997

  • About

Scorfani

Sardines in Palermo market.

As their name suggests, scorpion fish have poisonous spines that can deliver a nasty sting. They live on rocky seabeds and come in a variety of colours, from reddish-brown to black.

They look quite fearsome and are not very friendly if badly handled. However, this ugly fish has an excellent flavour and is very sought after for cacciucco, an excellent fish soup. Smaller fish are best used in such soups, while the larger varieties (weighing 1 kg/2 lb or more) are wonderful steamed or poached and eaten with fresh mayonnaise.