Manhattan-Style Fish Stew

Serves 6

This stew is inspired by the foundation of bacon and tomato in a Manhattan clam chowder, but rather than shellfish it uses cod to produce a thick and hearty stew. A simple recipe, it calls for adding many ingredients in quick succession, so take the time to have them ready and arranged in the order in which you will use them before you put the pot to the fire.

 

5 plum tomatoes, diced

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2¹/₂ pounds skinless cod fillet, cut into 1-inch dice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Garlic powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

¹/₂ pound slab bacon, diced (about 2 cups)

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small dice

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and cut into small dice

2 stalks celery, peeled and cut into small dice

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of crushed red pepper

¹/₂ cup dry white wine

¹/₂ teaspoon distilled white vinegar

3 cups water

Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice

Pinch of saffron threads

2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice

 

1. Thirty minutes before you want to cook, put the tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Put the cod cubes in another bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and the parsley. Set aside.

2. In a large, heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it turns golden brown and gives off enough fat to coat the bottom of the pot, about 7 minutes.

3. Add the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the tomato paste and sugar and stir to coat the other ingredients. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved tomatoes, crushed red pepper, wine, and vinegar, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the water, clam juice, saffron, and the potatoes. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, and then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons salt and ¹/₂ teaspoon black pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked almost all the way through to the center. (Remove and cut into one to check if you’re not sure.) If not serving immediately, let cool, cover, and refrigerate for a few days or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat gently when ready to proceed.

4. Lower the heat so that the soup barely simmers and add the reserved fish. Cook just until the cod is heated through, about 5 minutes.

5. To serve, ladle some soup into each of 6 warm bowls, making sure to include a good mix of fish and potatoes in each serving.

VARIATION

Mediterranean Fish Stew

Use ³/₄ pound each of boneless, skinless cod, swordfish, and mackerel for a greater range of flavor and texture. To hammer home the theme, add ¹/₂ cup pitted, slivered, green olives and 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained. Serve this variation with Aïoli Croutons.

Clam Chowder

Since this recipe is based on classic clam chowder, you can make clam chowder by omitting the cod and bottled clam juice and replacing them with 3 pounds small clams, rinsed and scrubbed. Cook the clams with wine and garlic according to the instructions for steaming the mussels in the Mussel Chowder, Step 2. Strain and reserve their cooking liquid, and remove and discard the shells. Then, replace the clam juice in Step 3 of the above recipe with the reserved cooking liquid. In Step 4, add the shelled clams in place of the fish cubes.