EVERYONE’S FISH STEW
Fennel • Celery • White Wine • Thyme
Serves 4 to 6
All Mediterranean countries have their own traditional versions of fish stew. There’s French bouillabaisse, Italian cioppino, and Catalan . While these staples of seaside villages all share similar traits—light, bright broths that showcase the freshest local seafood—Greek-style has a special place in my heart. It connects me to my family, who believed that this soup could boost a child’s weakened immune system during the winter months, and chase away the blues. This recipe is one of my secret weapons: It’s a powerful detoxifier that also helps teach your taste buds to crave foods that aren’t loaded with artificial flavoring. If you don’t live somewhere where you can get fresh langoustines, it’s okay to use frozen.
wild bonus: Mineral-rich fish broth has been used as a digestive tonic for centuries by cultures around the world.
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
8 cups fish stock, homemade (here) or store-bought
2 cups dry white wine
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and coarsely grated
1 pound salmon fillet, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound halibut or sole fillet, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound mussels or littleneck clams, well scrubbed
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ pound sea scallops or langoustines, peeled
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fish stock, wine, and butternut squash. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the salmon and halibut to the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mussels or clams and cook until they’ve just opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any that have not opened. Add the shrimp and scallops, cooking them until opaque and cooked through, no more than 10 minutes.
Stir in the parsley, orange zest, and thyme. Season the stew with salt, pepper, extra-virgin olive oil to taste.
