M A I N C O U R S E

CACCIUCCO - TUSCAN FISH STEW SOUP
SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA - STUFFED VEAL ROMAN STYLE
BACCALA' ALLA LIVORNESE - LIVORNO STYLE COD FISH

"Cacciucco" - Tuscan fish stew soup

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 Kg of various kinds of soup fish: (capon fish, mantis shrimps, conger, moray eels, hake, mulletand St. Peter’s fish), 300 g of octopus and cuttlefish, 300 g of mussels and clams, Eight prawns, One onion, A celery stick, Three cloves of garlic, A small bunch of parsley, 600 g of peeled tomatoes, 8 slices of stale bread, 1 dl of olive oil (half glass), A bay leaf Thyme, A glass of dry red wine, Salt, Pepper

Preparation

Clean all the fish and keep aside the heads of the bigger ones, remove the shell of the shrimps, clean the cuttlefish or squid and octopus by removing both the eyes and the ink sack.

After cleaning and washing the mussels and clams thoroughly, make them open up in a saucepan, keeping the cooking liquid and only half shell of each.

Put the fish heads in a saucepan, cover them up with water and bring to boil to make a broth.

Chop up the carrot, celery, garlic and parsley, stir them in a pan with the hot olive oil, immediately add the red pepper, thyme and the bay leaf, then add the cuttlefish and octopus squid cut into pieces. Wait few minutes then pour two tablespoons of vinegar and as soon as it is all evaporated add the white wine.

After the wine is all evaporated, add chopped fresh tomatoes (or canned if you don’t have fresh ones), salt and pepper. When the shellfish is tender add the strained fish head broth, then add the other fish, prawns and, almost at the end of cooking, the mussels with clams.

Toast a couple of Tuscan bread slices per person, rub fresh garlic on each side and set them at the bottom of each serving bowl. Once all the fish is cooked, pour the Cacciucco on top and serve hot.

The cacciucco should be juicy but not too watery.

"Saltimbocca alla Romana" - Stuffed veal Roman-style

Ingredients for 4 people

8 slice of Parma ham
8 veal “scalloppine” thinly sliced and pounded
flour spread on a plate for dredging
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbsbutter
8 sage leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste



Preparation:



Place one slice of ham on each veal scalloppine and pound in lightly with a meat pounder.



Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of the scalloppine in flour to coat, shaking off any excess.


Place them ham side down in pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer to a warm plate.


Drain oil from pan, place back over heat and add butter.


When butter is melted add sage and sauté for one minute.


Add the white wine and scrape loose any bits from bottom of pan, then add the chicken broth and salt and pepper.


Place scalloppine back in pan, prosciutto side up and cook until sauce is reduced by half and scalloppine are heated through.


Transfer veal to serving plates, spoon sauce over top and serve.

"Baccalà alla Livornese" - Livorno style cod fish

Ingredient for 4 people:

2 pounds of cod, 100g. flour, 1 onion, 2 cups of tomatoes sauce, extra virgin olive oli and parsely to taste



Preparation:

- clean the cod and cutting into serving size pieces

- lightly flour the pieces and put them in a saucepan with olive oli and finelt chooped onion

- cooking for 10 minutes until the cod is nicely browned

- add the tomatoes sauce and cook for 20 minues to low heat

- serve whit chopped parsley