Mediterranean fish stew
60 min · 44 g protein · 387 cals / serving
A coastal fish stew from the Greek and Italian kitchen: big flakes of cod and sweet shrimp poached in a tomato broth with fennel, white wine, garlic and a pinch of saffron, with tender potatoes to make it a meal. Finished with parsley and lemon, and best with a spoon in one hand and bread in the other.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced, fronds kept
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- a pinch saffron, crumbled into the wine (optional)
- 1/2 cup white wine, dry
- 1 can (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 3/4 cups fish stock, or chicken broth
- 2 medium gold potatoes, peeled, 2 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 1/4 lb cod, skinless, in 4 cm (1 1/2-inch) chunks
- 2/3 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
To serve
- a handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Steps
- Warm the olive oil in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, fennel and celery with a pinch of the salt for 8–10 minutes, until soft and sweet.
- Add the garlic, pepper flakes and paprika and cook 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more, until it darkens.
- Pour in the wine (with the saffron, if using) and let it bubble 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme and most of the remaining salt. Simmer partly covered for 15–18 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.
- Season the fish and shrimp with the last of the salt and the pepper. Lower the heat so the stew barely bubbles, slide in the cod, then the shrimp on top, and cover. Poach 5–6 minutes without stirring, until the shrimp are pink and the cod flakes easily and reads 145°F.
- Fish out the bay leaf, taste for salt, and gently ladle into wide bowls so the fish stays in big pieces. Finish with parsley, the chopped fennel fronds and a squeeze of lemon.
Good to know
Which fish?
Any firm white fish works: cod, haddock, hake, halibut or monkfish. Mussels or clams are lovely too; add them with the shrimp and cook until they open, discarding any that stay shut.
No fish stock?
Use chicken or vegetable broth (about the same score), or water with a tablespoon of anchovy paste. A bottle of clam juice topped up with water also works well.
Make it ahead?
Make the base through step 3 up to two days ahead. Reheat it to a simmer and poach the fish just before serving; cooked fish turns tough when reheated.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 53
- Protein
- (47%)
- 6 g
- Fat
- (21%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (32%)
- 5 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 168 mg
About 35% of the alcohol remains after cooking; the label counts only that.
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1547 kcal goes into the pot and 3206 g of ingredients comes out as about 2900 g of food: 53 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.