Moderno Caciucco

La Peca

Chef: Nicola Portinari

Country: Italia

City: Lonigo

Address: Via Giovanelli, 2

Nicola Portinari is already one the greatest chefs in Italy, and a future number one for all of Europe. He has developed a progressive cuisine with undeniable talent. Inspired by masterpieces or popular cuisine, he is capable of creating truly artistic interpretations. This is perhaps the most intellectual of all the seafood soups that we have ever tried. Maintaining its essence, it offers a deconstructionist interpretation that exalts the purity of the elements, and although they may break up in the articulation of the dish, it is precisely what makes their qualities and natural elements stand out. The stock tastes of sea and vegetables. It arrives covered by a crust of bread which, when broken, intermingles with the stock and separates the pieces, preserving the “raw” idiosyncrasy of the dish: slices of calamari filled with fish and chopped seafood and simply marinated.
The seafood soup for the 21st century.

The Recipe

Ingredients

40 g marinated red mullet
40 g marinated monkfish
40 g marinated scorpion fish
40 g marinated sea bass
40 g marinated dentex
Marinated Sicilian red prawns
5 squids weighing 110 g each

For the fish stock:

The bones of all the fish
The heads and extra cuts of the squid
100 g small clams
100 g carrots
50 g leeks
50 g celery
1 bay leaf
Basil sprigs
2 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
White wine
Tomato pulp
2 L water

For the final soup:

30 g finely cubed carrots
15 g finely cubed leeks
20 g finely cubed celery
80 g peeled tomato
Spicy pepper oil
4 discs of natural yeast dough bread, toasted
8 g chopped parsley leaves
8 g chopped lime peel
8 g chopped celery leaves

Method

In a pan, brown the fish bones with the squid parts and clams, add the white wine and leave to evaporate. While maintaining the heat, add the vegetables, cover with water and reduce by half.
Strain through a fine chinois, bring to a boil and adjust the salt.
Blanch the squid rings for 15 seconds.
For the final soup, mix 200 g of stock with the raw vegetables, the peeled, cubed tomato and add 10 drops of spicy pepper oil.
Let cool.

Season the fish (separately) with olive oil and pepper. Shape into cylinders of about 10 g and stuff into the calamari rings. Bake for 4 minutes at 200ºC, well covered.

Serve the soup in a deep dish, place a disc of toasted bread on top, and arrange the calamari rings around the bread. Combine the chopped parsley, lime and celery before adding to the plate and finish with a dollop of extra virgin olive oil.

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