Cacciucco or Tuscan Seafood Stew

I love this type of stew.  It's often better the next day.  So what I'll do is make the sauce, sans the calamari and octopus, and let it sit over night.  Then proceed with the recipe, after reheating the sauce, and add the fish.  I just use more fish than is asked for.  Serves 6-8

Photo by Todd Coleman

SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. minced parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves
½ tsp. red chile flakes
5 cloves garlic
12 oz. calamari, cleaned and cut into 1″ pieces
12 oz. baby octopus, cleaned and cut into 1″ pieces
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 (14-oz.) can chopped tomatoes with juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup fish stock
1 (1-lb.) monkfish filet, cut into 2″ pieces
1 (1-lb.) red snapper filet, cut into 2″ pieces
12 oz. large shell-on shrimp
12 oz. mussels, scrubbed and debearded
8 (1″-thick) slices country-style white bread

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add parsley, sage, chile flakes, and 4 cloves garlic, minced, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add calamari and octopus, and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir well, and cook until paste has darkened slightly, about 1 minute. Add wine, and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes along with their juice, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until seafood is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in stock, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add monkfish, and cook, covered, until just firm, about 5 minutes. Add snapper and shrimp to the pot and scatter mussels over top. Cook, covered, without stirring (so as not to break up the seafood), until the snapper is just cooked through and the mussels have just opened, about 10 minutes.

3. Toast bread, and rub liberally with remaining garlic clove. Ladle stew between bowls, over bread or with bread on the side.