Pesce all'Acqua Pazza
Pesce all'Acqua Pazza·(peh-sheh ahl-ahk-wah paht-sah)
Il Piatto della Sera: Nonna's Weeknight Stove
Italian food isn't always about a pot of red sauce bubbling all Sunday. Sometimes it's a nineteenth-century Neapolitan fisherman avoiding a brutal salt tax by boiling his catch in seawater, a bruised clove of garlic, and a handful of tomatoes rolling around the deck. This is a masterclass in cucina povera—doing a lot with practically nothing. Forget the convoluted Americanized versions drowning in chicken stock and heavy vegetables. By staging the aromatics and letting the fish and sweet tomatoes do the heavy lifting, you get a deeply comforting, provably authentic pan of food in under twenty minutes. Keep it simple, trust your ingredients, and for the love of God, have some crusty bread ready.
Before you start
Source the right fish.
Firm, white-fleshed fish like branzino, snapper, or thick cod cuts are mandatory for the weeknight kitchen; delicate flatfish will disintegrate and oily fish like salmon will violently clash with the delicate tomato broth.
Mind the tomatoes.
Use the sweetest cherry or grape tomatoes you can find, rather than watery beefsteak tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes which will quickly turn this elegant poach into a heavy stew.
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- garlic2 large
- red pepper flakes1/4 tsp
- cherry tomatoes1 lb
- dry white wine1/2 cup
- water3/4 cup
- firm white fish fillets1 1/2 lb
- sea salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1 small
- crusty artisan bread1 large
Method
- 01
Awaken the aromatics.
In a wide, deep skillet large enough to hold the fish in a single layer, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat with the smashed garlic and red pepper flakes until the garlic turns a pale, golden blonde.
- 02
Blister the tomatoes.
Increase the heat to medium, add the halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and let them cook for about three to four minutes until they soften and surrender their sweet juices to the pan.
- 03
Build the crazy water.
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble fiercely for a minute to cook off the alcohol, then pour in the water and let the rustic broth come to a gentle, rolling simmer for five minutes.
- 04
Poach the fish.
Season your fish fillets with salt and pepper, lay them gently into the bubbling broth so the liquid comes about halfway up their sides, cover the skillet, and reduce the heat to low.
- 05
Pull at the exact moment of doneness.
Let the fish steam-poach for six to ten minutes depending on the thickness of your fillets, pulling them from the heat the precise second the flesh turns opaque white and flakes easily with a fork.
- 06
Finish the broth and serve.
Carefully transfer the fish to shallow bowls, crank the heat under the skillet for sixty seconds to bring the leftover tomato broth together, stir in the fresh parsley, and ladle generous spoonfuls directly over the fish.
Notes
Respect the simplicity of the broth.
Do not be tempted to bulk this out with chicken stock, heavy onions, or butter—the magic is in the pure alchemy of olive oil, tomato juices, and the savory liquids released by the fish as it cooks.
The mandatory scarpetta.
The broth is arguably the best part of the dish, and serving this without copious amounts of crusty bread to mop up the crazy water at the bottom of the bowl is practically a crime against the diaspora.
From Cook Italian in America.