Name: Tegamaccio del Trasimeno
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500 g Cleaned eel (ready weight, gutted, skin and backbone retained, cut into 5 cm sections); 500 g Eurasian perch fillets (ready weight, pin bones removed); 500 g Peeled tomatoes (with their juice, crushed); 30 g Tomato concentrate; 200 g Golden onions (peeled weight); 5 g Garlic (1 clove, crushed); 1 g Fresh red chilli (finely chopped); 150 ml Dry white wine; 10 g Fresh parsley (leaves chopped); 50 g Extra virgin olive oil; 6 g Fine salt (adjust to taste); 0.5 g Black pepper (ground); 200 g Country bread (sliced for toasting)

Use ready-cleaned eel and checked perch fillets. A very gentle simmer and a rocking motion protect the delicate fish.

Make ahead Chop the vegetables ahead and keep the prepared fish chilled. Toast the bread during the final simmer.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium

Tegamaccio del Trasimeno

Prep 25 min · Cook 1 hr 15 min · Serves 4 · Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Skip to the method

4 servings

Ingredients

500 g1 lb
Cleaned eelready weight, gutted, skin and backbone retained, cut into 5 cm sectionsready weight, gutted, skin and backbone retained, cut into 2 in sections
500 g1 lb
Eurasian perch filletsready weight, pin bones removedready weight, pin bones removed
500 g1 lb
Peeled tomatoeswith their juice, crushedwith their juice, crushed
30 g1 oz
Tomato concentrate
200 g7 oz
Golden onionspeeled weightpeeled weight
1 clove1 clove
Garliccrushedcrushed
1 g1 g
Fresh red chillifinely choppedfinely chopped
150 ml⅔ cup
Dry white wine
10 g¼ oz
Fresh parsleyleaves choppedleaves chopped
50 g1¾ oz
Extra virgin olive oil
6 g1 tsp
Fine saltadjust to tasteadjust to taste
0.5 g¼ tsp
Black peppergroundground
200 g7 oz
Country breadsliced for toastingsliced for toasting

Equipment

Wide 30 cm casserole of at least 4 litres with a lid
Fish-bone tweezers and a toaster or grill

Method

Check the cleaned eel sections and perch fillets for loose bones. Keep the fish chilled while you chop the onions and prepare the tomato.Check the cleaned eel sections and perch fillets for loose bones. Keep the fish chilled while you chop the onions and prepare the tomato.
Put the oil, onions, garlic, chilli and tomato concentrate in the wide pan. Soften gently for about 10 minutes, stirring the vegetables without letting them scorch.Put the oil, onions, garlic, chilli and tomato concentrate in the wide pan. Soften gently for about 10 minutes, stirring the vegetables without letting them scorch.
Add the eel and white wine. Let the wine reduce for about 5 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes and their juice, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.Add the eel and white wine. Let the wine reduce for about 5 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes and their juice, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
Lay the perch fillets in the sauce. Continue at a bare simmer for up to 30 minutes, checking after 10 minutes; finish when both kinds of fish are opaque and separate easily with a fork. Rock the pan gently instead of stirring. Toast the bread while the fish finishes.Lay the perch fillets in the sauce. Continue at a bare simmer for up to 30 minutes, checking after 10 minutes; finish when both kinds of fish are opaque and separate easily with a fork. Rock the pan gently instead of stirring. Toast the bread while the fish finishes.
Remove the garlic and add the chopped parsley. Set toasted bread in serving bowls and ladle over the fish and sauce. Serve hot, removing any remaining bones carefully as you eat.Remove the garlic and add the chopped parsley. Set toasted bread in serving bowls and ladle over the fish and sauce. Serve hot, removing any remaining bones carefully as you eat.