Lazio cuisine is a poor cuisine. Since the Middle Ages the Roman population has been clearly divided into two social classes: the nobles and the populace. The bourgeoisie, which flourished in cities like Naples or Florence, was almost non-existent in Rome until the unification of Italy and the displacement of the capital at the end of XIX century. It should therefore come as no surprise that many traditional dishes handed down at home provide for leftovers and poor ingredients.
The Roman acquacotta is a basic dish made with some simple field herbs.
This recipe is enriched with cod.

Acquacotta

  • Preparation time: 60 minutes
  • Ingredients for 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy recipe

  • Ingredients
  • 1 lb or 500 gr of wild chicory
  • 2 large potatoes
  • ½ glass of tomato sauce
  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 fresh chili
  • Pepper to taste
  • Pennyroyal to taste
  • 7 oz or 200 gr dried salted cod fillets
  • 4 slices of homemade bread
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt to taste
  1. Instructions
  2. Wash the potatoes, peel them, and cut them into pieces.
  3. Wash the chicory well. Boil it for three to four minutes in boiling water to partially remove the bitterness.
  4. Drain and cut it with a knife.
  5. Desalt the cod for at least 3 days in fresh water, rinse it when desalted and cut it into large pieces.
  6. In a crock pot with half of the oil, sauté the minced onion, carrot, and celery for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and continue cooking for a few minutes. Finally, add the tomato purée and the cod fillets.
  7. Pour 1 US quart or 1 liter of cold water and let it simmer over medium heat for about an hour. Salt.
  8. In a pan with the remaining oil, fry the garlic and chili. Add the chicory and cook it. Finally, add the coarsely chopped pennyroyal. Salt. Add this mixture to the soup.
  9. Toast the slices of bread and put one in each bowl. Pour some cod, potatoes, and chicory onto each one and pour over a ladle of hot broth to cook.

Tips to ensure the success of the dish:

  • The original recipe is to put all the ingredients in water. Obviously, this saves time. Instead of stewing the onions first, sautéing them until translucent, cooking the potatoes, and making a sauce with the cod helps improve the taste of the dish.
  • This is the winter version. In spring, asparagus or artichokes can be used instead of chicory.
  • Use non-floury potatoes that remain compact after cooking.