Fish Stew
I decided on 3 readily-available seafood types since we do not live near the coastline for the freshest seafood at my fingertips. If you can get your hands on the coastal seafood, go for it! Feel free to change up the fish and shellfish, but be aware of any changes you may need to make in the cooking time.
If you purchased frozen seafood, which is usually what I must do, be sure it is thawed before adding it to the hot broth. Adding frozen fish will require more cooking time and can easily cause the fish to overcook.
This Fish Stew is different from the Brazilian Fish Stew “Mocequa,” which uses coconut milk and a bit more acid, such as lime juice. My stew is more brothy. Both stews are absolutely delicious in their own ways.
Curry powder could be added along with the garlic for a bit of an ethnic twist.
Slice your vegetables before beginning. Have your can/containers already opened. This recipe goes fairly quickly.
Another reason I love this recipe is that it is low in fat and Weight Watchers friendly!
Enjoy!
Fish Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, see Notes
- 2 leeks, white parts, sliced, rinsed well
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, sliced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced, see Notes
- 1 tablespoon garlic, sliced
- 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
- 1 quart vegetable stock, low sodium or unsalted
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 dried bay leaf
- Seasoned salt, to taste, or Kosher salt
- Freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
- 1 pound white fish, such as cod, haddock, etc.), cut into 1 1/4 - 1 1/2" chunks
- 10 ounces bay scallops
- 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, optional
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, sliced
- Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Once hot, add the leeks, fennel, and celery. Sauté the vegetables until beginning to soften and some of the fennel slices are turning opaque, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Add the clam juice, stock, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf. Stir to combine all the ingredients well and warm through. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and gently simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the shrimp, white fish, and scallops. Stir gently.
- Allow the seafood to cook through, gently stirring often to make sure the seafood is submerged under the broth. This will only take minutes. You will need to check every 2 or 3 minutes to make sure you are not over-cooking any seafood.
- Once the seafood is just cooked through, ladle in bowls, sprinkle with the parsley and chives. Serve with crusty bread.
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