The Brodetto

he Brodetto alla sambenedettese is an ancient seafood dish, born out of the need for fishermen to cook the unsaleable catch on board. Originally prepared with oil, it has become a refined specialty of the Marche region over time. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe, varying from family to family and restaurant to restaurant. Traditionally, boat brodetto used inferior fish and long-life vegetables such as onion, tomato, and bell bell pepper, with the addition of vinegar, also used as a drink on board. Homemade brodetto, passed down through families, is distinguished by the use of white wine vinegar, peppers and green tomatoes. The fish are cooked in sequence, without stirring, starting with the hardest to the most tender. Typical ingredients include cuttlefish, octopus, monkfish, redfish, mullet, dogfish, and cod. With the arrival of tourism, brodetto underwent further modifications in restaurants, including ingredients such as scampi, panocchie, clams and mussels, adapting to the tastes of visitors. Despite these variations, Brodetto alla sambenedettese retains its identity through the use of local ingredients and the seafood tradition that characterizes it.