Seafood Stew with Sausage

This stew is a hearty and flavorful dish, with both sausage and pancetta enlivening the flavor. Serve it with some crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.

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

¹/₂ pound thick cod fillet

¹/₂ pound swordfish fillet

¹/₂ pound bay scallops

2 juice oranges, washed

¹/₄ pound pancetta or bacon, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 celery rib, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¹/₂ pound luganega or other fresh pork sausage, removed from casings if necessary

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

¹/₂ cup dry white wine

3 cups Seafood Stock or purchased stock

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or ¹/₂ teaspoon dried

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Remove and discard any skin or bones. Cut fish into 1-inch cubes. Refrigerate fish and scallops until ready to use, tightly covered with plastic wrap. Grate off zest, and then squeeze oranges for juice. Set aside.

2. Cook pancetta in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Remove pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon, and transfer it to the slow cooker. Discard all but 2 tablespoons grease.

3. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and luganega to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Scrape mixture into the slow cooker.

4. Add tomatoes, orange zest, orange juice, wine, stock, basil, 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 vegetables are soft.

5. If cooking on Low, raise the heat to High. Add fish, and cook for 30 to 50 minutes, or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Remove and discard bay leaf, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Note: The stew can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Variation:

 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.

Whenever zest from a citrus fruit is being added to a dish, I always suggest washing the fruit with mild soap and water before grating the zest off. Many citrus growers spray with pesticides, and the residue remains on the fruit. Also, some fruit is lightly waxed before shipment to make it more transportable.