FISH STEW
I absolutely love a hearty fish stew. It always makes me think about the Italian side of my family, gathered around the table, probably on Christmas Eve, when my grandfather would traditionally make fish. The bacon gives this stew a beautiful depth of flavor, and the crushed tomatoes melding with the chicken broth to lightly poach the seafood produces a lovely aroma. Comfort food at its finest. SERVES 4 TO 6
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
5 shallots, sliced
4 slices bacon, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup white wine (optional; omit if strict Paleo)
1½ cups chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
20 small scallops
12 ounces white fish (such as haddock)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the shallots, bacon, and garlic for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bacon is crisp.
- Pour in the wine or a splash of the chicken broth, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the broth and tomatoes to the pot, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Gently add the scallops and fish, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until all the seafood is opaque and cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
VARIATION 1 FISH STEW WITH VEGETABLES: After sautéing the shallots, bacon, and garlic, add 2 chopped celery stalks, 3 or 4 chopped carrots, and 1 diced zucchini to the pan. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes before continuing with the recipe as written from step 2.
VARIATION 2 FISH STEW WITH MUSSELS: Soak ½ pound mussels in cold water for about 15 minutes. Scrub them with a vegetable brush, and discard any that are already open. Add them to the stew with the scallops and fish in step 4, and cook for 10 minutes. Discard any that don’t open.
