A Slow Food Presidium fish from the waters of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, the palamita is the Atlantic bonito, a small dark-fleshed relative of tuna long dismissed as the poor man's tuna. Caught along the Livorno and Grosseto coast between the isles of Elba, Capraia and Giglio, it is at its best either grilled fresh in season or, in the old coastal way, salt-cured, gently poached and preserved under a blanket of extra-virgin olive oil. The oil-packed fillets, firm and savoury, keep for months and are eaten as antipasto with bread, a little onion and a squeeze of lemon.
The palamita, a member of the mackerel family, is a migratory pelagic swimmer that runs along the Tyrrhenian coast in the warmer months, and though its firm dark flesh is close kin to tuna it was long sold cheaply as a poor relation, snubbed by smart restaurants even as fishermen prized it. Preserving it under oil belongs to the same Tyrrhenian tradition as tonno sott'olio, a way to carry a glut of oily fish through the year before refrigeration. To rescue it from neglect, Slow Food created the Presidium 'Palamita del Mare di Toscana', protecting the fish taken in the marine area of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, from Giglio to Capraia across the provinces of Grosseto and Livorno, and championing its low price, fine eating quality and the selective, small-boat hook-and-line fishing that keeps it sustainable.
Firm, meaty fillets the deep colour of tuna, with a savoury, mineral edge softened by weeks under fruity olive oil. The salt cure and poaching keep the flesh close-grained and clean-tasting rather than fishy; on the tongue it flakes into oil-slicked, faintly peppery pieces, lifted by bay and a squeeze of lemon.
Preservation here is a chain of barriers against spoilage. Coarse salt draws water out of the muscle by osmosis, firming its proteins and lowering the water activity that microbes need. Gentle poaching, often in vinegar-sharpened water, coagulates the actin and myosin so the flesh sets into clean flakes, while the acid lowers the pH to further discourage bacteria; the fish's myoglobin-rich dark muscle, the mark of a fast pelagic swimmer, turns from red to brown as it cooks and its strong flavour mellows. Thorough drying strips surface moisture, and covering the fillets completely in olive oil seals out oxygen, which both blocks aerobic spoilage organisms and protects the fish's polyunsaturated fats from turning rancid, so the salt, acidity and oil together carry the catch for months.
Variations
In season the palamita is above all a fresh fish: split and grilled over embers, dressed simply with oil, lemon and oregano, or cut into steaks and braised alla livornese with tomato. The oil-preserved version varies with what goes into the jar, from bay and peppercorns to garlic, chilli or a strip of lemon peel; the poaching water may be plain, salted or sharpened with vinegar or white wine. The same method preserves the fillets in glass for the store cupboard, to be tossed later through pasta, folded into salads or piled on bruschetta.
On the Palate
Where Palamita del Mare di Toscana sits in the Italian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8
How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 120 min
Clean and gut the palamita, remove the head and backbone, and cut the flesh into large fillets or thick chunks.
- 2180 min
Layer the pieces with plenty of coarse sea salt and leave them to cure for a few hours, until the flesh firms and gives up its water.
Watch outCure with plenty of coarse salt until the flesh firms and gives up its water — that draw-down is what lets the fish keep.
- 320 min
Rinse off the salt, then poach the fish gently in water sharpened with a little white wine vinegar until just cooked through, skimming off any foam.
Watch outPoach only until just cooked through, skimming the foam — a hard boil breaks the flesh apart instead of setting clean flakes.
- 4720 min
Lift the pieces out carefully, drain, and leave to cool and dry completely, ideally overnight, peeling away skin and the dark bloodline.
- 510 min
Pack the fillets snugly into clean, sterilised jars with bay leaves and a few peppercorns.
- 65 min
Pour in extra-virgin olive oil until the fish is completely covered, tapping the jar to release trapped air.
Watch outPour oil until the fish is completely covered and tap out the air — any piece left exposed to air will spoil.
- 720160 min
Seal the jars and store them in a cool, dark place, letting the palamita mature for at least two to three weeks.
- 85 min
Serve at room temperature as antipasto, with bread and a little sliced onion or a squeeze of lemon.
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