More fish stew
For those who may have missed it, we've had a helluva good discussion on fish stews of various ethnic persuasions. Most of the talk has tilted toward stews that involve first making a broth or "fumet" from fish frames. This may sound heretical, but I am leaning toward stews that skip the fumet step and can be made as one-pot meals.
This may be a lesser-known technique, but essentially involves layering the aromatics, fish, shelfish, and seasonings in a big covered pot and putting it on the stovetop to cook for 30 minutes or so. I made just such a dish from a Portuguese recipe: it used just a cup of white wine (plus some tomatoes juices) for the cooking liquid, yet made enough broth in the end for six people, the rest of the liquid coming from the other ingredients (onion, potatoe, green bell pepper, clams, fish, etc.) With paprika and lots of cilantro, it was definitely Portuguese. We ladled it over toasted bread (as so many of these stews call for) and my guests declared it a triumph.
I see in Clifford Wright's tome on Mediterranean cooking some vaguely similar recipes from North Africa (Tunis and Morocco). Does anyone know of any others? Because this is the most magnificent, simple, down-to-earth fish stew I have come across yet.
EHB
Dec 15, 2003 08:03PM
Your Portuguese stew sounds great. Would you mind paraphrasing the recipe for us?
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I was quite stunned at the result of this recipe and the quantity of exquisite broth it produced. Needless to say, once you've done your shopping, the prep is extremely easy. You do need a large, heavy pot (e.g. Le Creuset or suchlike). I got this from "Portuguese Homestyle Cooking."
½ cup olive oil
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 large Red Bliss potatoes, cleaned (skins intact), cut into ¼-inch slices
20 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
6 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 bay leaves
1 ½ green bell peppers, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon dry crushed red pepper
1 ½ tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 small littleneck clams
2 pounds fish cut into 1-inch chunks (use a variety of non-oily fish, whatever is freshest, such as halibut, monkfish, red snapper, cod)
½ pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 generous pinch saffron, crushed (about ½ teaspoon)
1 cup dry white wine
1 round loaf crusty, country-style bread
For the bread:
Coat loaf into thick slices, one per person. Either grill on both sides or place under a broiler until toasted brown. Reserve.
For the Stew:
Dissolve the saffron in 1 tablespoon warm water. Allow to sit 15 minutes. Mix with white wine and reserve.
Pour the olive oil into the bottom of a large, heavy Dutch oven, 8-10 quarts. Spread the onions in a layers over the olive oil. Cover the onions with the potatoes, overlapping the slices as necessary to form a single layer.
Tomatoes and seasonings: Over the potatoes, scatter one-third of the tomatoes and juice, garlic, bay leaves, sweet peppers, cilantro and crushed red pepper, followed by a sprinkling of paprika, salt and ground pepper.
Add the littlenecks, spread into a single layer, then repeat tomatoes and seasonings step.
Add fish, spread into a single layer, topped by the shrimp. Repeat tomatoes and seasonings step.
Pour the wine and saffron mixture over the stew. Cover tightly and place over moderately high heat about five minutes, or until you hear the wine bubbling. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently 30 minutes, occasionally shaking the pot. Check for doneness. The vegetables and fish should be completely cooked through, the clams opened.
Place the toasted bread in large, shallow bowls. Reaching deep into the bottom of the pot, ladle the stew over the bread, making sure to get part of each layer into every bowl. Serve immediately.
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sounds yummy - I'll have to say (again) that I've discovered that tilapia holds up well in stews and soups (doesn't get chewy or mushy). FYI
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Thanks, it sounds looks delicious. I take it the fish and shrimp weren't overcooked, or you wouldn't have been happy with it. 30 minutes is an awfully long time for them to cook, but I guess it's mitigated by being surrounded by the veggies at a very low simmer.
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Correct. We did not detect any overcooking. The fish and shrimp are quite a distance from the bottom of the pot, once you have everything layered, and what they're getting is mostly steam. I don't suppose it would hurt to toss the shrimp in at the very last minute if you like them au point. But I think this is one of those cases where the idea is to fuss as little as possible over the stew.
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This sounds great! How many servings is this? 6-8? and is the fish on the bone or filleted? thanks.
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This makes 6 hefty adult portions. You could stretch it to 8. Part of the charm is that there are no bones involved. Just select a variety of the freshest looking, non-oily fishes available, filleted, then cut them into 1-inch chunks.
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There is the classic fish "muddle" from around the Southeastern seabord/Virginia/North Carolina coast.
Cut steaks from any dressed, white roundfish, and layer it in a baking dish with slices of salt pork, potato, onion, and water. Salt and pepper to taste, a little water, and bake in a moderate oven. My father in law, a Hatteras Island fisherman, would make this and serve it with spoonbread. I suppose you could also do it on top of the stove.
It's reminiscent of the clear, milkless/creamless clam chowders found along the Eastern seabord, usually made with bacon.
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Evil - does your father in law have a recipe for old Drum Stew ? I wake up drooling for that. I remember watching folks clean the Drum with an axe and some Islanders swore the taste was from the backbone. Hope Isabel spared him.
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Hey Bob,
My father in law is long gone, but I think I have a recipe in one of Bill Neal's books. I will get back to you with that recipe.
You must be a North Carolinian or vacationed down there. How did you know that old Mr. Miller used drum, "puppy drum" to be exact? Those Islanders were correct. Those backbones along with the fatback, onion, and potato create a beautiful broth/fumet. I imagine it would work almost as well with grouper/snapper/black bass/ striped bass, as long as they were fresh.
Evil Ronnie
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