Steamed shrimp
By Cat, Nov 2007 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
Ever since I first had Bouillabaisse at Jake’s Crawfish in Portland, I’ve been in love with seafood stews. While the French Bouillabaisse does not usually include tomatoes in the base, the Cioppino (Italian-style from San Francisco) or Cacciucco (Italian) are rich with tomatoes. Some recipes also include hot chilies
See also: 1. Fish and Seafood Menu; 2. French, German, Irish, Latin American and Russian Menu; 3. Mediterranean Menu; 4. Cioppino or Cacciucco (Italian fish stew); 5. Bouillabaisse (Provençal or Creole Fisherman’s Stew).
Easy Seafood Stew
Food Mill (Moulinette)
(Photo, left, from Wikimedia Commons)
This first recipe, a type of Italian seafood stew, similar to cioppino or cacciucco, is from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and is quick and easy to prepare. Makes about 7 cups and serves 4.
The original recipe uses canned spicy tomato-vegetable juice, such as V-8 or Clamato, but I prefer not to use commercial processed foods which are rife with questionable ingredients. Instead, I make my own from fresh tomatoes which I put through my food mill to separate the juice from the peel and seeds, then cook with minced veggies and chiles in a bit of olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. See my Spicy Tomato-Veggie Juice, Homemade recipe.
Ingredients &Equipment
- 1 cup Spicy Tomato-Veggie Juice, Homemade (or 1 can commercial spicy tomato-veggie juice such as V8 or clamato juice)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- ½ onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 ¾ – 2 cups Homemade Stewed Tomatoes or 1 can (14.5 oz) Organic stewed tomatoes
- 1½ cup water, or mix of water and clam juice
- ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt, or to taste
- 1 pound skinless cod or halibut fillet, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 8 oz shelled and de-veined medium shrimp
- Equipment for stew
- 4-quart saucepan, stockpot, or heavy dutch ovenjuice mix.
NOTE: You could also use chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) and spice up with chopped fresh chilies, or dried chili flakes, instead of the spicy processed juice
Method
- Prepare Spicy Tomato & Veggie Juice, and Stewed Tomatoes (or skip this step and use commercial canned products).
- Seafood Stew:
- Chop bell pepper and onion. Mince garlic, sprinkle with a bit of salt and crush to a pulp with side of knife blade.
- Heat oil over medium heat in saucepan or dutch oven. Add peppers and onion; cook 5-6 minutes, until softened and lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in crushed garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the spicy tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, water/clam juice and salt.
- Cover and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
- Stir in cod/halibut and shrimp. Cover and simmer 3 – 4 minutes, or until fish and shrimp just turn opaque throughout, gently stirring once.
- Ladle stew into large soup bowls, and serve with a hearty whole grain bread (I like sourdough).
