Seafood Stew
with Fennel, Tomatoes and Potatoes

Possible Cooking Methods:   Stovetop   Pressure Cooker   Slow Cooker   

This seafood stew is a contrast to the New England Fish Stew in this book because it is tomato based, rather than cream based. It’s just as lovely and really enjoyable on a summer evening. In fact, I think it’s a great meal for entertaining because it’s a meal that you can easily have all prepared before your guests arrive, just adding the fish at the last minute. It is elegant and delicious and will impress dinner guests every time. The many subtle flavors of fennel, saffron and anise really compliment the fish and seafood in this dish. I recommend serving this stew with crusty bread and a glass of white or rosé wine.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, cleaned, white and light green parts thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, smashed

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2½ cups)

1 bulb fennel, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup white wine

1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

3 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock if you can’t find seafood stock)*

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)

1 pound white fish fillets (such as halibut, turbot, red snapper, striped bass, grouper or cod), cut into 2-inch pieces

12 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded (discard any mussels that are open, broken or don’t close their shells when tapped)

18 large raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

3 tablespoons anise-flavored liqueur (Pernod, Pastis or Sambuca)

zest of one orange

salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

*Quantity changes for alternate methods

Stovetop Directions

Serves:4 to 6

Cooking Time:40 minutes

1.  Pre-heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the leek and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Let the leek brown slightly, but do not let it burn. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.

2.  Deglaze the pot with the white wine, scraping any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, stock, thyme and saffron (if using), and let the mixture simmer over medium-low to low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.

3.  Stir in the fish and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mussels and shrimp, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

4.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the anise-flavored liqueur and orange zest. Discard any mussels whose shells did not open. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowls with the parsley sprinkled generously on top and serve with some crusty bread to soak up the remaining sauce.

 

Additional Cooking Directions for

Seafood Stew with Fennel, Tomatoes and Potatoes

Pressure Cooker Directions

Serves:6 to 8

Cooking Time:25 minutes

Change Ingredients:  Reduce stock to 1 cup; add 1 (14-ounce) can tomato purée

1.  Pre-heat a multi-function pressure cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting. Add the olive oil and cook the leek and garlic for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.

2.  Add the white wine and saffron, crushing the saffron threads between your fingers as you add it. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a skillet on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée and stock and drop the white fish into the cooker. Add the mussels and lock the lid in place.

3.  Pressure cook on HIGH for 4 minutes.

4.  Let the pressure drop NATURALLY and carefully remove the lid.

5.  Add the shrimp to the cooker, nestling them into the stew, and return the lid to the cooker. Let this sit for 3 minutes or until all the shrimp has cooked and turned bright pink.

6.  Stir in the anise-flavored liqueur and orange zest. Discard any mussels whose shells did not open. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowls with the parsley sprinkled generously on top and serve with some crusty bread to soak up the remaining sauce.

Slow Cooker Directions

Serves:6 to 8

Cooking Time:4 to 5 hours on LOW
+ 30 minutes on HIGH

Change Ingredients:  Reduce stock to 1 cup; add 1 (14-ounce) can tomato purée

1.  Pre-heat a multi-function slow cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting. Add the olive oil and cook the leek and garlic for a few minutes. Add the potatoes and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.

2.  Add the white wine and saffron, crushing the saffron threads between your fingers as you add it. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a skillet on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, stock and thyme and cover with the lid. Slow cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours (or 2½ hours on HIGH).

3.  When the potatoes are tender, add the fish, mussels, and shrimp to the cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.

4.  Stir in the anise-flavored liqueur and orange zest. Discard any mussels whose shells did not open. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowls with the parsley sprinkled generously on top and serve with some crusty bread to soak up the remaining sauce.