Name: Stocco a ghiotta
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1,000 g Soaked stockfish (drained ready weight, skin retained and visible bones removed; already soaked); 1,000 g Potatoes (peeled ready weight); 1,000 g Ripe tomatoes; 150 g Onion (peeled); 100 g Celery (trimmed stalks); 100 g Green olives in brine (pitted and drained); 50 g Capers in brine (drained and rinsed); 90 g Olive oil; 2 g Fresh red chilli (finely chopped); 6 g Fine salt (up to this amount; taste the olives and capers first); 0.3 g Black pepper (ground); 200 ml Water (hot reserve, added only if the sauce becomes too thick)

Begin with stockfish that is already fully soaked. Its weight here is the drained, ready-to-cook weight.

Make ahead Prepare the tomato sauce first and keep the ready-soaked fish chilled until it goes into the pan.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Rest: 5 min
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Medium

Stocco a ghiotta

Prep 30 min · Cook 1 hr 15 min · Rest 5 min · Serves 6 · Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Skip to the method

6 servings

Ingredients

1,000 g2¼ lb
Soaked stockfishdrained ready weight, skin retained and visible bones removed; already soakeddrained ready weight, skin retained and visible bones removed; already soaked
1,000 g2¼ lb
Potatoespeeled ready weightpeeled ready weight
1,000 g2¼ lb
Ripe tomatoes
150 g5½ oz
Onionpeeledpeeled
100 g3½ oz
Celerytrimmed stalkstrimmed stalks
100 g3½ oz
Green olives in brinepitted and drainedpitted and drained
50 g1¾ oz
Capers in brinedrained and rinseddrained and rinsed
90 g3¼ oz
Olive oil
2 g2 g
Fresh red chillifinely choppedfinely chopped
6 g1 tsp
Fine saltup to this amount; taste the olives and capers firstup to this amount; taste the olives and capers first
0.3 g¼ tsp
Black peppergroundground
200 ml¾ cup
Waterhot reserve, added only if the sauce becomes too thickhot reserve, added only if the sauce becomes too thick

Equipment

Food mill and saucepan
Wide, thick-bottomed 34 cm casserole of at least 6 litres with a lid

Method

Cut the tomatoes into chunks and cook them in a saucepan for about 15 minutes, until they release their juice and some of it evaporates. Pass them through a food mill, discarding the skins and seeds.Cut the tomatoes into chunks and cook them in a saucepan for about 15 minutes, until they release their juice and some of it evaporates. Pass them through a food mill, discarding the skins and seeds.
Cut the potatoes into wedges no thicker than 1.5 cm. Cut the drained stockfish into pieces about 6 cm across and check carefully for bones. Finely chop the onion and celery.Cut the potatoes into wedges no thicker than ½ in. Cut the drained stockfish into pieces about 2¼ in across and check carefully for bones. Finely chop the onion and celery.
Soften the onion in the oil in the wide casserole for 8–10 minutes. Add the celery and milled tomato, then bring to a gentle simmer.Soften the onion in the oil in the wide casserole for 8–10 minutes. Add the celery and milled tomato, then bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the potatoes, stockfish, olives, capers and chilli. Cover and simmer gently for 40–50 minutes, until the potatoes yield to a fork and the fish is opaque and separates easily. Shake the pan gently instead of stirring. Add small splashes of the hot reserve water only if the sauce threatens to catch.Add the potatoes, stockfish, olives, capers and chilli. Cover and simmer gently for 40–50 minutes, until the potatoes yield to a fork and the fish is opaque and separates easily. Shake the pan gently instead of stirring. Add small splashes of the hot reserve water only if the sauce threatens to catch.
Taste before adding the salt, then finish with the pepper. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes and serve with the tomato sauce. Check for any remaining fish bones as you eat.Taste before adding the salt, then finish with the pepper. Rest off the heat for 5 minutes and serve with the tomato sauce. Check for any remaining fish bones as you eat.