A version of caponata from Liguria made with stale, crusty bread or biscuits (US: crackers) soaked in oil and mixed with tuna, crushed garlic, olives, tomatoes, anchovies and so on. The stale bread or biscuits mimic earlier versions which were made with sea biscuits.
Gurnard. Gurnards are strange-looking, scaly, bottom-feeding fish with spikes which use the three bottom rays of their pectoral fins to "feel" the sea bed. They have firm-textured white meat with not much flavour, and are rich in protein, iodine and phosphorus. They emit a strange grunting noise and some make good eating. The grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) has a brownish-grey back and silver belly. The red gurnard (Aspitrigla cuculus) is the most attractive member of the family with pinkish-red colour and the finest flavour of the gurnards. The tub gurnard (Trigla lucerna) is a large brownish-orange variety with bright orange pectoral fins and is the one most readily available in the United Kingdom. There is a variety known as flying gurnard as it is a fine swimmer which sometimes leaps out of the water. They are all very bony fish. Small ones are excellent in soup. Red or grey mullet (US: striped mullet) can generally be subsituted for it, and are usually better.
Capon marinated in Brunello di Montalcini wine with herbs, browned and then simmered in a broth with the wine and brandy.
