Cook's Illustrated

Southern Italian Poached Fish

In the early 1800s salt was scarce, even along Italy’s southern coast. So hungry fishermen came up with a “crazy”—and frugal—idea: stewing their catch in seawater. That’s just one story behind pesce all’acqua pazza (“fish in crazy water”), which, over time, evolved considerably into a dish featuring firm-fleshed white fish cooked in a tomato-studded, garlic-infused broth.

To learn more about acqua pazza, I consulted naturalist and Italian food authority Eugenia Bone. Interestingly, her exceedingly simple formula was nearly

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Cook's Illustrated

Cook's Illustrated5 min read
Why We Love Gyuto
The gyuto (pronounced “GYEW-toh”) is best described as the Japanese version of a Western-style chef’s knife. It was developed in the 1870s, during the Meiji Restoration. Japan had recently ended its policy of isolationism and had opened its borders t
Cook's Illustrated6 min read
Mastering the Art of Kol Böreği
Every morning, the aroma of freshly baked pastry wafts down the wandering old town streets of Gaziantep, Turkey. When I attended cooking school in the city, I’d often follow my nose straight to the source: a shop where coils of golden, flaky kol böre
Cook's Illustrated6 min read
The Superpowers of Salt
You might think that after cooking with salt for thousands of years, we wouldn’t have much left to learn. We’ve made simple-pleasure revelations, such as how sprinkling salt on a tomato makes it taste exponentially more like itself, and life-changing

Related Books & Audiobooks