Livorno-style seafood coccio is a rich, aromatic dish that captures the city’s maritime soul. Fish, shellfish, and crustaceans are slowly cooked in an earthenware pot with tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, white wine, parsley, and a hint of chili pepper.
Cooking in the traditional clay pot retains heat and allows the flavors of the sea to blend into a deeply savory broth, perfect for soaking up with slices of toasted Tuscan bread. Rustic and generous, the dish reflects Livorno’s fishermen’s cuisine, built around simple ingredients, fresh seafood, and bold flavors.
Ingredients
1 medium to large white onion
5 heads of garlic
1 hot chili pepper
1 bunch of parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 glasses of white wine
20 mussels, cleaned
20 clams
12 jumbo shrimp
2 medium cuttlefish, cleaned
1 rock octopus
Country-style bread, toasted for bruschetta
Directions
Place the onion in a small saucepan with a little water. Bring to a boil and cook until the onion is tender, then blend it into a smooth puree. In another small saucepan, add enough water to cover the octopus. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, then set aside.
In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, combine the olive oil, garlic, parsley, clams, and one glass of white wine. Once the clams open, remove them from the pan and repeat the process with the mussels. In the same pan, add the onion puree and the cleaned cuttlefish cut into thin strips.
Cook for 10 minutes, then add the octopus cut into bite-size pieces.
Add a little of the octopus cooking liquid and cook until the mixture is well combined. Add all the remaining ingredients, including the shrimp. Serve in an earthenware casserole with the toasted bread.
