Cacciucco alla Livornese

Ingredients

• 400 g small octopus, cleaned
• 400 g cuttlefish or squid, cleaned
• 600 g firm white fish steaks such as monkfish or gurnard
• 400 g scorpion fish or red mullet, scaled and gutted
• 400 g mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 400 g clams, purged in salted water
• 8 large raw prawns, shell on
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, 3 sliced and 3 left whole
• 2 dried red chillies, crumbled
• 250 ml dry red wine
• 700 g passata or crushed tomatoes
• 1 litre hot fish stock or water
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 6 thick slices country bread
• Salt and black pepper

Before you cook

• Cut the octopus into 3 cm pieces and slice the cuttlefish into 1 cm strips.
• Cut the white fish into large chunks and cut the scorpion fish into thick cross sections, bones left in.
• Tap any open mussels or clams on the worktop and discard the ones that stay open.
• Chop the onion, carrot and celery finely and keep them together in one bowl.
• Slice three garlic cloves and leave the other three whole for the bread.

Steps

1. Warm the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 minutes until soft and glossy.
3. Stir in the sliced garlic and crumbled chillies and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the octopus and cuttlefish and stir them through the soffritto for 3 minutes.
5. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble for 4 minutes until the sharp smell has gone.
6. Tip in the passata and season with a good pinch of salt and plenty of pepper.
7. Pour in the hot stock and bring the pot to a gentle simmer.
8. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until the octopus gives easily when pressed with a spoon.
9. Slide in the chunks of firm white fish and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
10. Lay the scorpion fish sections on top and simmer for another 4 minutes.
11. Scatter in the mussels, clams and prawns and cover the pot.
12. Cook for 5 minutes, until every shell has opened and the prawns have turned coral.
13. Toast the bread slices until dry and crisp on both sides.
14. Rub each hot slice with a whole garlic clove and set one in the base of each bowl.
15. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and chilli.
16. Ladle the stew over the bread, sharing the shellfish evenly, and finish with chopped parsley.