Seafood Stew

This week, we have a Seafood Stew by Ina Garten, who has a knack for making delicious and simple dishes that let their ingredients shine. This stew uses a light tomato-ey broth, white wine, shellfish, meaty white fish, fennel, and of course, garlic. 

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=105&S=0

Dan's Version and Comments

Dan subbed scallops for shrimp, cod for halibut, and used lemon instead of orange zest.

Ready to go.

FIN! Some grated cheese on top, because, why not?

I used mussels, cod instead of halibut (a little cheaper, plus they didn't have Halibut), and scallops. 

I changed a few things on the recipe...I really dislike any anise flavored spice or condiment, so I used just a little bit of fennel. I also used only three cups of seafood stock rather than the 4 that the recipe called for. I think using less seafood stock left the soup a little bit more on the "tomatoey" side of things, but I think it was for the best.

Garnish with some fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese! 

Of all the dishes we have created this was probably my least favorite, like I said, it was good, but the timing was off, I am not the biggest seafood fan, and it was just a little too heavy.

Mo's Version and Comments

The halibut was pricey, so I used bass and cod fillet. These can stand up to stews pretty well. Also used a Sauvignon Blanc, which I think is good with seafood? 

The fennel adds a mellow, almost licorice-y aromatic and great texture when it softens out.

Broth with plum tomatoes. 

Waiting for the pool. Wine was good. 

And in! Everything cooked pretty quickly.

Note: the mussels were closed before, but open up after just a few minutes. Discard the ones that don't open. 

Delicious. Necessarily paired with crusty bread. Toasted french bread would be great here.

Unlike Dan, this was one of my favorite dishes so far and a perfect recipe to kick off the warm weather. Nothing says summer like seafood! I think he may have tweaked just enough things on the recipe (less broth, less fennel, different fish) where some of the flavors and lightness were lost. I assert that sometimes it's important to stick to a recipe closely. Especially with such few ingredients. 

It's astounding how simple this dish was to make. Saute, simmer, add fish, simmer, bread. I loved the aromatic flavors of the fennel, zest, garlic, tomato, and wine. It really let the flavors of the fresh seafood shine. Definitely a crowd pleaser--try it.

Until next time!