Fisherman’s Stew

Fisherman’s Stew

This recipe was adapted from cooking.nytimes. I love this recipe as a great base for any hearty filleted fish: halibut, salmon, or cod. You can freeze it once cooled into a gallon zip lock or in individual portions. When ready to use, reheat it on the stove, adding the fish and cooking it until it achieves a flaky texture, usually somewhere between 5-7 minutes. I keep a stash of individually wrapped fish portions in my freezer, typically from Costco or Trader’s. Before added to the base, I defrost the wrapped fish in a bowl of cold water, replacing the water as needed, until thawed through, around 10 minutes.

Top with the seasoned mayonnaise and homemade or store-bought pesto.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 small head fennel, diced

¼ teaspoon red chile flakes, or to taste

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, cored and chopped, with their juices OR substitute good quality canned diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1 cup dry white wine

½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced OR sweet potatoes for a healthy substitution

Ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 4-6 ounce fillets of black cod, halibut or salmon, skin removed

6 basil leaves, torn, or homemade pesto

1 cup mayonnaise (organic expeller pressed canola, 365 brand recommended) seasoned with 1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha or other hot sauce (optional) to taste

Directions:

Warm oil in a 4-quart saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown. Add fennel and cook a few minutes, until softened. Stir in chile flakes. Add tomatoes and salt, cover and cook on medium about 10 minutes.

Stir in wine and 2 1/2 cups water, bring to a simmer, add potatoes and cook another 6 minutes or so, until potatoes are tender. Check seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice. This can be prepared a day ahead and reheated or frozen for later use.

Season fish pieces with salt and pepper, place them in the stew and simmer on low, covered, until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, warm 6 generous soup plates.

When fish is done, remove it to the warm soup plates. Remove pot from heat, divide soup among the 6 plates. Top with spiced mayonnaise and basil or pesto.