30 ml white wine vinegar (or another mild vinegar)
250 ml warm water
25 g onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic (whole or crushed)
Fine salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
80 g tomato paste (concentrate)
100 g cuttlefish
100 g squid
100 g langoustines (scampi)
100 g shrimp
150 g mixed saltwater fish
150 g tub gurnard
100 g hake
150 g sole
150 g red mullet
6 slices Tuscan bread (or rustic crusty bread)
Instructions
Clean the cephalopods: Separate the heads from the bodies and gut the cuttlefish. If small, leave them whole; otherwise, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Clean the squid in the same manner and slice the body into rings.
Clean the fish: Keep the mixed saltwater fish whole and gut it under cold running water. Do the same with the hake: slit the belly, gut it, and remove the head (cut it into pieces if large, otherwise leave whole). Gut the red mullets and leave them whole.
Clean the sole: Make a small incision in the skin near the tail with a knife, then firmly peel the skin off both sides. Trim off the outer fins and bones using kitchen shears.
Prepare the shellfish: Remove the small legs from the langoustines and make a shallow slit down the center, starting from the head.
Build the flavor base: In a large, wide pot, heat the olive oil over very low heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic clove, then let sweat gently for about 15 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine vinegar. Once the vinegar has evaporated, stir in the tomato paste.
Cook the firmer seafood: Add the cuttlefish and squid to the pot and sauté for about 10 minutes. Pour in the warm water and cover with a lid.
Add the firmer fish: Add the gurnard, hake, and mixed saltwater fish. From this point forward, do not stir with a wooden spoon—gently shake the pot by the handles instead to prevent the fish from breaking apart.
Finish with delicate seafood: Add the quicker-cooking seafood: the whole langoustines, red mullets, sole, and finally the shrimp. Simmer for no more than 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve: Remove from heat and serve the brodetto hot, accompanied by oven-toasted bread or thick slices of fresh rustic bread.
