Fish pancotto

Bread becomes stale before we realise. There isn’t much use for stale bread, and it’s definitely not good for the toast in the morning or the sandwich for lunch.

Make your stale bread do more: turn it into an Italian dish that is sure to thrill your tastebuds and impress your guests. This recipe by Gian Paolo Raschi from Ristorante Guido, Miramare di Rimini ‘embodies the magic of the recovery taught by the Italian cucina povera’. This fish pancotto ‘turns stale bread into a superb fish soup, enriched with typical Mediterranean flavours’.

Method

1. Heat 2 spoons of extra-virgin olive oil.
2. Wash, peel and dice the carrots, celery and onions and add.
3. Mix and brown well.
4. Add the mixed seafood to the brunoise.
5. Pour in 3 litres of water. Cook at low heat for 1 hour, then take it off the heat and let it cool overnight.
6. Blend the mixture into a smooth liquid.
7. Pour the liquid mixture into a pan.
8. Add salt to taste and cook at a low heat.
9. Add chunks of stale bread whilst it is cooking, and let it cook for another 15 minutes. Turn down the heat and let it sit until the bread absorbs the soup.
10. Heat it up again and add the fresh seafood. Cook for a few minutes.
11. Serve in a bowl and garnish with chopped parsley, fresh chilli pepper and olive oil.