Old Timey Fish Stew Food

OLD STONE FISH STEW

Steps:

• Cut the fish into one-and-one-half-inch cubes. Set them aside.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or kettle over medium heat and add the onions, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, for five minutes. Add the wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cook for one minute. Stir in the tomatoes, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the fish and mussels, stir and cook over high heat for about three minutes. Add the shrimp and parsley and cook for three more minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve immediately.

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA FISH STEW

Steps:

• Cut the bacon slices into 1-inch squares. Brown them in the bottom of a 10-to-12-quart stockpot over medium heat. Once bacon is crisp, remove it and reserve, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. Whisk the tomato paste into the fat, making sure you scrape up all the brown bits left from browning the bacon.
• Turn the heat off and begin layering the ingredients in the stockpot. Start with a layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of onions and garlic, followed by a layer of fish. Top the fish with roughly a third of the salt, a third of the chile flakes and 1 bay leaf. Repeat this layering process two more times.
• Fill the pot with enough cool water to just barely reach the top of the fish. (If there's a little fish peeking out over the top, that's O.K. - better than if it's swimming in water.) Cover the pot with a tightfitting lid and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Throughout the cooking, resist the urge to stir.) Once it starts to boil, reduce heat and let it cook, covered, at a high simmer for about 15 minutes. Check the potatoes for doneness. They should be barely tender, not falling apart.
• Use a large spoon to remove the fat from the surface of the soup, and discard. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed. Then, with the stew at a good simmer, add the eggs one by one in a single layer over the top. (Crack each egg into a small cup before dropping it in.) Cook the eggs for 5 minutes until they are lightly set.
• As soon as the eggs are lightly set, use a large ladle to portion out the stew. A proper serving is at least half a fish steak, some potatoes, some onions and an egg swimming in broth. Shower each bowl with bacon, and serve immediately with a piece or two of bread, if desired.

EASY FISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat.
• Add onion, celery and chili powder, sauté 3 minutes or until tender.
• Stir in the corn, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, 2 cups water, cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the fish, and cook for 3 minutes or until fish is done.
• Taste and add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
• Stir in parsley.

FABULOUS FISH STEW

Steps:

• To make the saffron aioli, smash a clove of garlic, a tiny squeeze of lemon juice, and the saffron (if using) with a small pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar until it turns into a mush. Add a tablespoon of mayonnaise and pound again. Stir in the rest of the mayonnaise. Taste and season with a little more lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Give the mussels and clams a good wash in plenty of clean cold water and scrub any dirty ones lightly with a scrubbing brush, pulling off any beardy bits. If there are any that aren't tightly closed, give them a sharp tap. If they don't close up, throw them away.
• Heat a large, wide saucepan or stewing pot and pour in a splash of olive oil. Slice up the rest of the garlic and fry it in the oil until lightly golden. Add the wine, tomatoes and the basil stalks and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced a little.
• Add all your fish and shellfish in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Push the fish down into the liquid and put the lid on. Cook gently for about 10 minutes or until all the clams and mussels have opened and the fish fillets and langoustines or prawns are cooked through. (Discard any clams or mussels that don't open.)
• Toast the bread on a hot griddle pan and get out the serving bowls. Put a piece of toast in each bowl and ladle the soup over the top, making sure the fish is divided more or less evenly. Top each bowl with some fennel tops, basil leaves, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a big blob of saffron aioli.

SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.;
• Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add 1 1¿2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. If not, you can make up the difference with water or white wine.

RUSSELL'S FISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Mix in the celery, onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, water, wine, clam juice, and sherry. Dissolve bouillon cubes in the stew, and season with red pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour.
• Mix the cilantro, shrimp, and fish into the stew. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque and fish is easily flaked. Remove from heat, and allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.

TUSCAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• Puree cherry tomatoes and clam juice in a blender until smooth. Press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
• Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, green onions, garlic, anchovy, and 1 pinch red pepper flakes in a cold plan. Place over medium heat. Cook and stir until garlic and onions just start to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer stew until color deepens, about 10 minutes.
• Add halibut and shrimp to the stew. Season with salt. Increase heat to high. Cover pan and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, oregano, and rosemary. Pour stew into a warm bowl. Drizzle in remaining olive oil and sprinkle 1 pinch red pepper flakes on top. Serve with crusty bread.

SIMPLE FISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the fennel seeds, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook for 5 mins until starting to soften. Tip in the leeks, tomatoes and stock, season and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 mins until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly.
• Add the fish, scatter over the prawns and cook for 2 mins more until lightly cooked. Ladle into bowls and serve with a spoon.

QUICK FISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the garlic butter in a saucepan and gently cook the onion for about 5 mins until soft. Tip in the chopped plum tomatoes and any juice from the can, the balsamic vinegar and chilli flakes. Crumble over the stock cube, add the peppers and potatoes. Season, then simmer for about 15 mins until the potatoes are just tender.
• Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium, mix the rest of the garlic butter with 1 tsp of parsley and some seasoning. Toast the bread lightly on both sides, then spread one side of each slice with the butter and return to the grill until melted and golden. Keep warm.
• Add the mixed seafood and fish to the sauce and heat through for about 5 mins until the seafood is hot and the fish is firm and cooked through. Scatter with remaining parsley and spoon into bowls. Top each with 2 slices of bread and serve with green beans, if you like.

SOUTHERN CATFISH STEW

Steps:

• Wash the catfish fillets and cut them into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
• Fry the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes in a large heavy saucepan; add the onion and bell pepper and cook until tender.
• Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
• Cook, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Add the fish and cook for another 20 minutes.
• Correct the seasonings if necessary and serve hot with cornbread.