A heavenly fish soup that is served all along the Italian coast, but particularly that of the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the west, where it is prepared in numerous fashions. Zuppa di pesce should not be confused with “brodetto,” which is a distinct dish, typical of the towns near the Adriatic Sea, to the east.
Each Region Its Own Version
Each region has its own ingredients and preferences. In Sicilian zuppa di pesce, for example, black olives are added, and in some cities like Catania, raisins are included to the recipe. In Sardinia, the sauce in which the fish is cooked is also used to boil a type of local pasta called “fregola,” which looks like couscous. The Lazio version incorporates a little bit of red wine and the dominant ingredient; small crustaceans. For another regional example, the Neapolitan version provides a very clear choice of the fish to utilize.
Using the Fish That Could Not Be Sold
The soup was born as a poor man's seafood dish, because it was made up of all those tiny fresh fish that the fishermen could not sell at the market due to the generally small dimensions. The larger fish were the more popular, because they made a better impression on the tables of rich families and were easy to cook, boil, or roast. Therefore, only small fish, clams, cuttlefish, tiny cod, and mullet remained in the unloaded boxes from fishing boats. These fish were cooked, although at different times, on a coal stove right there at the seaside. Tomatoes were added, brought by farmers who came to sell their vegetables in the small markets at the ports, or even parsley and some finely chopped garlic. A very intense seafood and vegetable aroma rose from these stoves, and the dish became even more enjoyable when toasted slices of bread drizzled with a luscious oil, were dipped into this sauce, slightly salted from the seawater.
The Right Wine
We can pair white wines that are not very intense and lightly fragrant, such as Verdicchio, produced in Le Marche, or Vermentino, produced in Liguria, Sardinia, and Tuscany respectively.
