"Ghiotta" of Stockfish (Piscistoccu a gghjiotta)

The "ghiotta" of stockfish, in Messina dialect told  "Piscistoccu a gghjiotta", is one of the most famous dishes of the coast of the city. It is a very simple and genuine dish, it can be considered one course meal and in the past, after the Second World War, was often prepared during the week because it was considered a "poor food" (stockfish was the cheapest fish). Today the "ghiotta" of stockfish is known throught the world as typical dish of the city which overlooks the Sicilian Strait, and for this reason it is inserted in the menus of many restaurants, even the most refined.

Buy the "Pescestocco" (in Italy Stockfish is told Pesce Stocco, in Messina the two words are written united) already soaked and deprived it of thorns and bones; in Sicily people buy it from "piscistuccaru". Wash the stockfish before cooking ande dry carefully with plotting paper. Fry the stockfish, for a few minutes, with extra vergin oil in a no stick pan.

In an other pan with high base (the Sicilian housewives used earthenware pots) fry the onion, finely chopped, with plenty of olive oil (2 spoons). Add tomatoes (no peeled and already cut), salt and ground black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes previously peeled and sliced. Cook the sauce with potatoes for about 20 minutes. 

United sauce with potatoes and the stockfish already fried. Pour half aglass of white wine and let evaporate. Add the desalined capers, pitted olives, chopped parsley and red hot pepper cut into rounds. Cook over a low fire for about 45 minutes, stirring off and on with great delicacy and adding some water, preferably hot, just enought to cook the fish better. I suggest you monitor the amount of the sauce: if it's necessary still add some water or, if the sauce becomes too liquid, let restrict it prolonging the cooking time. Finally adjust the food with salt and ground black pepper if need be. 

At this point the "Ghiotta", which can easily be prepared also for our celiac friends, is ready and you can bring on the table with a good full- bodied red wine and homemade bread.

Doses for 6 people:

- 1 kilograms of stockfish (it is dried cod)
- 1 kilograms of potatoes (about 10, peeled and cut for long in thick slices)
- 1 red onion (cut thinly)
- 200 grams /7 oz of  green olives in brine pitted
- 100 grams/ 3¾  oz of capers (already washed)
- 15 Piccadilly tomatoes (no peeled and cut in four parts)
- half glass of white wine
- chopped parsley (about 2 spoons)
- 1 red chilli pepper (cut into rounds)
- half glass of extra olive oli
- salt (about 1½ spoon, but adjust according to your taste)
- ground black pepper (about 3 teaspoons, but adjust according to your taste)

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