This chunky Grilled Cacciucco is a thick seafood packed stew that leaves you warm and craving another bowl. Make sure to have bread to serve on top or to slop up the sides of the bowl. You won’t want to leave a drop behind.
This Tuscan classic fish stew at first glance seems pretty fancy until you realize that fisherman made this stew from everything that was leftover from what they sold at market. That means pieces and parts were all mixed together to make a thick and highly addictive stew. No one will realize that this is made from scraps.
Since I’m not an angler, I pulled together five different kinds of seafood. Mix up what you put into by trying some softer fish mixed with some firmer fish.
🍽️ What Makes This Recipe Work
Flexible – This is pretty flexible that you are going to be able to pull in fish and seafood that you like. Grab something on sale or a small piece you’ve been wanting to try, like we did with the shark.
Absolutely Delicious – I’m giving you bragging rights here. You are going to love serving up this stew to your family and friends as there won’t be a drop left.
Quick – As far as a stew goes, this one goes pretty fast. So you could be at the seafood counter and decide to make this and actually have it made for dinner. No marinating or waiting for meat to tenderize. You know how sometimes on a Saturday morning it hits you that you want to grill something amazing? This can be your recipe. You have time to go to the store, put in a full day and grill it up for dinner.
🐟 Ingredients
Fish/Seafood – You are looking for about four pounds of fish/seafood. Traditionally, Cacciucco has five kinds of fish but do whatever you like. If you buy too many mussels, don’t worry, you can always grill them in a foil pack for a delicious meal.
Chili Flakes or Red Pepper – Another staple that is found in almost all Cacciucco. Just a little punch of heat but you can bump it up, if you like.
Broth – Use fish or vegetable broth.
Wine – Pick a nice bottle of red wine to use. Don’t pick the bottom of the barrel here.
🔥 Grilling Instructions
Step One: Heat up the grill to 375 degrees on direct heat.
Step Two: Place the dutch oven on the grill grate and allow it to heat up. Add the olive oil and, once it is hot, add the chopped onion and celery. Add in the herbs and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Step Three: Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add wine and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes and seafood stock and stir. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the seafood and cook covered about 5-7 minutes or until done.
Note: Add the fish that will take the longest to cook first. We added our squid, octopus, cod and shark and cooked for about 3-4 minutes before adding the shrimp, clams and mussels.
Step Four: Slice a loaf of bread lengthwise and place it straight on the grill over direct heat. It will only take one or two minutes for it to toast nicely. Don’t leave the side of the grill, as it will shift from toasted to burnt in a skinny minute!
Serve the stew over the grilled bread.
❗ Expert Tips
Pay attention to layering the fish/seafood choices. Don’t put in light and delicate fish at the beginning of the cooking process as they will become too rubbery. My general guide is to cook firm fleshed fish 10 minutes per inch thick. Double the cooking time if the seafood is frozen.
This is not a great stew for leftovers. We did try it so we could recommend it but the fish was more rubbery and the tomato based broth soaked in a lot of the dyes from the shells of the mussels and turned the broth a grey tone. So we strongly recommend eating this one at one sitting or not leaving any shells in the leftovers when you put it in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, traditionally, cacciucco is made with red wine but I’ve seen recipes with white wine and it looks equally amazing.
Yes, absolutely. Use the fish that you can eat with this and it will be incredible. There are no rules here on seafood choices. Remember the fisherman used what was leftover from what they couldn’t sell.
Related Recipes
Grilled Cacciucco {Tuscan Seafood Stew}
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
Stock for the Stew
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2 Celery Stalk chopped
- 1 Onion chopped
- 1 tbsp Parsley fresh
- 1 tsp Sage fresh
- ½ tsp Red Chili Flakes more if you want more heat
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Tomato Paste
- 14 oz Tomatoes canned, chopped
- 1 cup Red Wine we chose medium, not overly dry
- 2 cups Seafood Stock
Seafood
- 1 lb Shark black-tipped, cubed
- 1 lb Cod cubed
- 8 oz Squid
- 8 oz Baby Octopus
- 1 lb Shell Fish we used fresh water shrimp, clams and mussels
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up the grill to 375 degrees on direct heat.
- Place the dutch oven on the grill and allow it to heat up. Add the olive oil and once it is hot, add the chopped onion and celery. Add in the herbs and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Add wine and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes and seafood stock and stir. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the thickest fish to the stew first, followed by the seafood that will not take long to cook. We added our squid, octopus and shark and cooked for about 3-4 minutes before adding the cod and shellfish.
- Serve over grilled bread. Alternatively, make crusty croutons to serve on top.
Notes
