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Pesce all'acqua pazza
Fish in tomato broth
Pesce all'acqua pazza: Campania's white fish poached in "crazy water" with tomato and parsley
Acqua pazza, "crazy water", was once the dish fishermen of Naples, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast cooked on their boats with the fish they couldn't sell, in sea water with a few tomatoes and garlic. Today it's a light summer favourite in seaside restaurants: white fish, such as sea bream or sea bass, gently poached in a quick broth of cherry tomatoes, garlic, chilli and parsley, served with bread for the broth. Chef's tip: keep the broth at a gentle simmer, never boiling; the fish should poach softly and stay moist.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 sea bream or sea bass filletsabout 150 g each, skin on
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oilplus extra to serve
- 2 cloves garlicsliced
- 1 pinch chilli flakes
- 10 ½ oz cherry tomatoeshalved
- 1 cup water
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan and cook 2 cloves garlic and 1 pinch chilli flakes for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add 10 ½ oz cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, until they start to collapse.
4 minStep 2: Pour in 1 cup water, add ¾ tsp salt and half of 1 ½ tbsp flat-leaf parsley and simmer for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Lay 4 sea bream or sea bass fillets in the broth, skin side up, cover and simmer very gently for 6–8 minutes, until the flesh is white, opaque and flakes easily. Common mistake: boiling; the fish toughens and breaks up.
8 minStep 4: Lift the fish into shallow bowls, spoon the broth and tomatoes over and scatter with the rest of the parsley and a drizzle of oil. Serve with bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pesce all'acqua pazza take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of cherry tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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