< Previous224 WEEKEND COOKINGFIVE PREPARATIONS THAT TAKE A LITTLE TIME 225 A Modern Fish Stew SERVES 4 TO 6 If there is a place between bouillabaisse and paella, between Italian cacciucco and New England clam chowder, it is this fish stew. It is too young to have much of a reputation, but that means you are part of what it shall become. It is a modest proposal—a simple, fresh fish stew. I use fillets of cod as the base and then select from monkfish, snapper, and halibut, for they are generally available and fresh. You need them to be of the best quality. Rinse the fish fillets, skin them, and dry them. Cut them into 1-inch (2.5- cm) pieces. Put the pieces of each in separate small bowls and set aside. Rinse the clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops. Scrub the clams, debeard the mussels, peel and devein the shrimp, and pat the scallops partly dry. Preheat the broiler. Heat a heavy-bottomed, high-sided pan over medium heat for a minute. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of the olive oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the onion, stir, and stay with it so the oil coats the onion and the onion starts to lightly brown. Add the coarsely chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, carrots, and some salt and black pepper. Stir again, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Preheat the broiler. Stir in half the parsley and then ½ pound (225 g) of the cod (or the firmest fish, if not using cod) and ½ cup (120 ml) of the wine. Cook for 5 minutes to reduce the wine by at least half and give the fish time to break down and merge with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes, making certain nothing sticks or burns. For the bread, make sure the broiler is up to temperature and that you have a warmed platter to put the slices on. Once the slices are browned or even slightly blackened, pull them out, rub their surfaces with a cut piece of raw garlic, and sprinkle some salt and a couple dribbles of olive oil over their tops. (Alternatively, you can fry the bread in olive oil. Heat ¼ cup/60 ml of the olive oil in a sauté pan over low heat. Add the bread and brown on each side for about 2 minutes, then transfer the slices to a warmed platter, rub with the garlic, and sprinkle with some salt. If you fry the bread, you will use considerably more olive oil.) 2 to 3 pounds (910 g to 1.4 kg) mixed fresh fish fillets, such as monkfish, cod, halibut, snapper 1 pound (455 g) small clams (you only need 6 to 8, so choose the best ones) 1 pound (455 g) mussels (6 to 8 total) ½ pound (225 g) large shrimp in the shell (6 to 8) ½ pound (225 g) bay scallops ¾ cup (180 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow or red onion, finely chopped 6 garlic cloves: 4 coarsely chopped, 2 halved ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 medium carrots, finely chopped Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper 1 cup (50 g) chopped fresh flat- leaf parsley ¾ cup (180 ml) dry white wine 1½ pounds (680 g) fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 1 (28-ounce/785-g) can San Marzano tomatoes 1 bay leaf 8–10 slices white country bread, sliced on a bias226 WEEKEND COOKING Return to the fish stew. Poke and crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, if need be, to hurry the process. Give it all a good stir and then carefully add all the remaining fish pieces to the mix. Add a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and let it simmer for a minute. Add the shrimp, cook for another minute, then add the rest of the shellfish (clams, mussels, and scallops) right on top without stirring. Pour the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) wine over it all and cover the pan tightly so the shellfish can steam open. The stew is done when the clams and mussels open. You can pull out the ones that open and put them in a small bowl. After 6 minutes, pull them all out and throw away any shellfish that did not open. Work quickly and ladle the stew into warmed soup bowls, adding some of the shellfish to each. Sprinkle some parsley, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and finally, tuck a piece of the toasted bread into the corner of each soup. Your fish soup is up and ready. VARIATIONS: As you get comfortable making the fish stew, there are some important variations to consider. Fennel, for example. Chop a half or whole bulb of fennel and add it to the base with the chopped garlic. It is a very appropriate nod to the Mediterranean fish soup tradition and history. There is some tradition for adding potatoes to the stew. They will give it body and length, the starch thickening the broth and the potato itself adding heft. For this stew, you should use a Yellow Finn or other thin- skinned potato. Peel about 1 pound (455 g) of potatoes and cut them into ½-inch (12-mm) slices. Lay the slices on top of the tomato base and let them cook with the tomato for 5 minutes more, then add the fish pieces right on the top and gently stir it all together. I have not included salmon. It is too oily to be used in the regular lineup. But it is a wonderful fish, and I have added it many times to my fish stews, and been pleased to have it there. Use no more than ½ pound (225 g) of salmon and have it be a thicker piece, cut into chunks as you would for a beef stew. Salt the salmon pieces and add them last, with the shrimp, so the salmon is cooked quickly and retains some separateness. Next >