Weever
Weever gives white fish fillets and stock bones to Chioggia’s brodeto. Its sharp venomous spines make professional cleaning a useful part of buying it.
- Identity
- Trachinus spp., the weever group sold as tracina.
- Form for the pan
- Whole raw fish, professionally cleaned and filleted.
Prepare the right cut
Have the fishmonger remove the dangerous spines, gut the fish and separate the fillets. Ask for the cleaned frames to be wrapped separately for stock. Do not start by gripping an unprepared fish around its head or dorsal fin. Use a carefully filtered fumetto and add the fillets late, handling them as little as possible.
In Adriatic fish cooking
Varagni are the tracine in brodeto de pesse alla ciosota. Their fillets cook alongside gurnard, monkfish and shellfish, while the cleaned frames build the broth. The local name describes a group of fish, rather than a guarantee of one species. Trachinus draco is one example; the exact species is identified at the fish counter.
Confirm species and purchase form
Ask for tracine suitable for a fish soup and have the seller confirm the species and preparation. Whole purchase weight includes the parts removed during filleting. Order the cleaning at the counter rather than treating these fish like ready-to-cook fillets.
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.
