Fish Stew with Potatoes and Greens

Every cuisine that borders a body of water has a wonderful selection of fish stews that were created by the fishermen with whatever they caught in the nets that day. This hearty stew is topped with a dollop of a garlicky mayonnaise.

Makes 4 to 6 servings as an entrée and 6 to 8 servings as a primi | Prep time: 20 minutes | Minimum cook time: 3¹/₂ hours in a medium slow cooker

1¹/₂ pounds halibut, cod, monkfish, snapper, sea bass, or any firm-fleshed white fish

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

7 garlic cloves, minced, divided

4 cups Seafood Stock or purchased stock

¹/₂ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 pound redskin potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ³/₄-inch dice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or ¹/₂ teaspoon dried

1 bay leaf

¹/₂ pound escarole

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¹/₂ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Remove and discard any skin or bones. Cut fish into 1-inch cubes. Refrigerate fish until ready to use, tightly covered with plastic wrap.

2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and 3 garlic cloves, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker.

3. Add stock, wine, lemon juice, potatoes, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf to the slow cooker, and stir well. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

4. While stew cooks, prepare escarole. Rinse leaves, and discard stems. Cut leaves crosswise into ¹/₂-inch slices. Make sauce by combining mayonnaise, lemon zest, and remaining garlic. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. If cooking on Low, raise the heat to High. Add fish and escarole. Cook for 40 to 55 minutes, or until fish is just cooked through and flakes easily. Remove and discard bay leaf, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot. Pass sauce separately.

Note: The soup can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Variations:

 Substitute Swiss chard or kale for the escarole.

 Substitute boneless, skinless chicken for the fish, and substitute chicken stock for the fish stock. Add the chicken to the slow cooker at the onset of the cooking time.

A vegetable peeler and a pair of tweezers are the best ways to get rid of those pesky little bones in fish fillets. Run a peeler down the center of the fillet, starting at the tail end. It will catch the larger pin bones, and with a twist of your wrist, you can pull them out. For finer bones, use your fingers to rub the flesh lightly and then pull out the bones with the tweezers.