Seafood Stew

Serve the stew with warm garlic bread or topped with toasted garlic croutons.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 2 medium onions, peeled and diced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound kale, chopped
• Optional: Hot water
• 2 pounds perch, cod, or bass fillets, skin and pin bones removed
• 2 (28-ounce) cans boiled baby clams, drained
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Optional: ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

1. Add the oil, onions, garlic, and sausage to the slow cooker; stir to coat the onions in the oil. Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook on high for 30 minutes or until the onion is transparent.
2. Add the thyme, oregano, bay leaf, and potatoes, stirring everything to mix the herbs and coat the potatoes in the oil.
3. Pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
4. Stir in the kale and fish. Add enough hot water to cover the fish if needed. Cover and continue to cook on low for 15 minutes.
5. Add the drained clams and cook on low for an additional 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked and the clams are brought to temperature. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Why Water Is Optional

The heat at which you cook a dish makes a difference in how much of the liquid will evaporate during the cooking process. Some vegetables in a dish also sometimes absorb more liquid than do others. If such evaporation or absorption occurs, the broth will become concentrated. Thus, water only reintroduces more liquid; it doesn’t dilute the taste.