Scorpionfish
Scorpionfish gives brodetto alla fanese flavorful fish pieces for the tomato-and-vinegar broth. Ask the fishmonger to deal with its spiny head and fins.
- Identity
- Scorpaena spp.; the market name scorfano can include S. scrofa and S. elongata.
- Form for the pan
- Cleaned raw scorpionfish pieces with bone.
Prepare the right cut
Have the fish cleaned, its hazardous spines removed and the flesh cut into suitable bone-in pieces. Weigh the cleaned pieces for the brodetto. Add them according to size, after the cuttlefish, and keep the broth at a controlled simmer. Portion carefully and check for bones when eating.
In Adriatic fish cooking
Scorfano belongs to the mixed fish of brodetto alla fanese. The fish cooks in a wide pan with the cuttlefish and other pieces, while the cannocchie join later. Red scorpionfish, Scorpaena scrofa, is one recognizable example, with a large spiny head and reddish mottled skin. The broader Italian market name does not make every scorfano that exact species.
Confirm species and purchase form
Ask for scorfano for brodetto, with the species confirmed by the seller. If choosing red scorpionfish specifically, ask for Scorpaena scrofa. Cleaned pieces and a whole spiny fish give different edible yields, so make the required purchase form explicit.
Keep it cold until cooking
Follow the seller’s storage directions and the package date. Keep raw seafood covered and refrigerated, separate from food ready to eat. Prepare the fish stock and seafood with clean tools and keep the cleaned pieces cold until their turn in the pan.
