Ligurian Stewed Stockfish

Ingredients

• 600 g Stockfish
• 500 g Potatoes
• 400 g Tomatoes
• 1 Onion
• 1 clove Garlic
• 2 Salted anchovies
• 80 g Taggiasca olives
• 30 g Pine nuts
• 60 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Parsley
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper

Steps

1. Soak the pre-softened stockfish in cold water for about two days, changing the water several times a day.
2. Clean it, remove the skin and bones and cut it into even pieces.
3. In a large pot heat the extra-virgin olive oil and gently soften the chopped onion together with the garlic for a few minutes, without letting them colour.
4. Add the desalted anchovies and let them melt into the soffritto, stirring with a wooden spoon until you obtain a cream.
5. Add the pieces of stockfish and let them take on flavour over high heat for a few minutes, turning them gently.
6. Pour in the chopped peeled tomatoes, the pine nuts and the Taggiasca olives, season sparingly with salt and add pepper.
7. Cover, lower the heat to minimum and let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes, adding a little hot water if the sauce dries out too much.
8. Add the potatoes cut into chunks and continue cooking for another 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the stockfish flakes easily.
9. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve warm, letting it rest a few minutes so the flavours blend together.

Tips

• Use Taggiasca olives and Ligurian pine nuts: they are the ingredients that set this version apart and make it a true stoccafisso accomodato.
• Always cook over very low heat and do not stir too much, otherwise the stockfish breaks apart and the potatoes fall to pieces.