Name: Stoccafisso all’anconetana
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 5 min
Total time: 14 h 45 min
Cuisine: Italian, Marche
Ingredients: 1.2 kg fully soaked stockfish, bones removed, cut into large pieces; 900 g waxy potatoes, cut into thick rounds or large chunks; 120 g onion, finely chopped; 80 g carrot, finely chopped; 80 g celery, finely chopped; 35 g desalted anchovy fillets, finely chopped; 25 g desalted capers, chopped; 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped; 400 g ripe tomatoes or peeled tomatoes, chopped; 120 g black olives; 300 ml Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi; 250 ml cold water, approximately; 180 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small dried chilli, optional; fine sea salt only if required after tasting

Stoccafisso all’anconetana: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep40 minutes

Cook2 h 5 min

Total14 h 45 min

Yield6 servings

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The dish

About Stoccafisso all’anconetana

Turismo Marche describes Stoccafisso all’Anconetana as one of Ancona’s most important typical dishes and its gastronomic symbol.

The official ingredient list includes soaked stockfish, desalted anchovies, celery, onion, carrot, rosemary, capers, Verdicchio, black olives, ripe tomatoes, potatoes and generous extra-virgin olive oil.

The fish is placed in the pan first, covered with a chopped aromatic mixture and large potato pieces, then moistened with wine, water and oil and cooked on low heat for about two hours.

The regional source advises eating it about 12 hours after cooking, allowing the oil, fish gelatin, potato starch and aromatics to settle together.

Technique

Three things that matter

Use fully soaked stockfish. Dry stockfish must be rehydrated before cooking or it will remain fibrous and intensely salty.
Cut potatoes large. They must survive roughly two hours of gentle cooking without dissolving.
Respect the rest. The flavour and texture improve after a long cooled rest and gentle reheating.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Main dish

1.2 kgfully soaked stockfishbones removed, cut into large pieces
900 gwaxy potatoescut into thick rounds or large chunks
120 gonionfinely chopped
80 gcarrotfinely chopped
80 gceleryfinely chopped
35 gdesalted anchovy filletsfinely chopped
25 gdesalted caperschopped
2 tspfresh rosemaryfinely chopped
400 gripe tomatoes or peeled tomatoeschopped
120 gblack olives
300 mlVerdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
250 mlcold waterapproximately
180 mlextra-virgin olive oil
1 smalldried chillioptional
fine sea saltonly if required after tasting

Step by step

Method

Prepare and layer

Check the stockfish. Pat fully soaked stockfish dry, remove remaining bones and portion into large pieces.
The fish should be flexible and evenly rehydrated, not stiff at the centre.
Make the aromatic battuto. Finely chop onion, celery, carrot, anchovy, capers and rosemary together.
The mixture should be fine enough to distribute evenly rather than sit in large chunks.
Build the casserole. Set stockfish in one layer, scatter over half the battuto, arrange potatoes above and add the remaining battuto, tomato, olives and chilli.
Fish and potatoes should be evenly distributed rather than tightly piled.

Moisten and slow-cook

Add wine, oil and water. Pour Verdicchio, olive oil and enough cold water around the sides to create a generous but not flooding cooking liquid.
The liquid should come well up the ingredients while leaving potato tops partly visible.
Bring up slowly. Set over medium-low heat until only a gentle simmer begins.
Rapid boiling should be avoided from the start.
Cook about two hours. Cover loosely and cook on low heat about 2 hours, checking occasionally and nudging the pan rather than stirring fish aggressively.
Potatoes should be tender and the fish soft, while the sauce looks glossy and lightly thickened.

Rest and serve

Cool safely. Let the dish stop steaming, then divide into shallow containers or cool the casserole efficiently before refrigerating.
It should enter refrigeration promptly rather than sit warm for the full 12-hour flavour rest.
Rest refrigerated. Chill for about 12 hours so flavours settle.
The sauce should visibly set and become more cohesive when cold.
Reheat gently. Warm covered over low heat until the centre reaches 74°C, adding a splash of water only if necessary. Serve without breaking the fish.
The reheated sauce should be glossy and spoonable, not separated into pools of oil.

Practical guidance

Soaking

If starting from dry stockfish, follow the supplier’s multi-day cold-water soaking instructions before weighing the ready-to-cook amount.

Wine

Verdicchio is part of the regional identity; a dry structured local white is preferable to a sweet or heavily oaked wine.

Rest

The traditional recommendation for a 12-hour rest is followed here under refrigeration for food safety.

Troubleshooting

Fish is fibrous. Stockfish was incompletely soaked or the simmer was too short.
Potatoes collapse. Pieces were too small or the dish boiled hard.
Sauce separates after reheating. Heat was too high; rewarm slowly and move the pan gently rather than stirring forcefully.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 main-course portion
Calories: approximately 760 kcal
Carbohydrates: 35 g
Protein: 62 g
Fat: 37 g
Fibre: 5 g
Sodium: variable, approximately 980 mg

Stockfish, anchovies and capers make sodium highly dependent on soaking/desalting.

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish.

Taste before adding any extra salt because stockfish, anchovies and capers can retain substantial sodium.

For the traditional long rest, cool promptly under refrigeration; reheat to 74°C before serving.

FAQ

Why wait before eating it?

Turismo Marche recommends a rest after cooking; it allows the layered sauce and fish to settle and often improves flavour.

Can the dish be stirred?

Gentle pan movement is safer because fully cooked stockfish can break into flakes.

What wine is characteristic?

The regional recipe specifically calls for Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Soft stockfish and intact potatoes in a glossy, wine-scented sauce of tomato, capers, anchovy, olive and olive oil.
Key: Start with fully soaked fish, cook slowly, cut potatoes large and give the finished dish a refrigerated rest.