A Stew by Heart

Cold weather doesn't mean that seafood has to be off the docket. This seafood stew (my own version of bouillabaisse/cioppino) continues to shift and develop every time I make it. It is the perfect solution to heavy meat, cheese and/or carb-based comfort foods. However, you don't want to push this concept too far...a quality loaf of warm, crisp, crusty bread is a must for sopping up all of those holiday emotions.

Dippy Dippy.

Basic recipe (feel free to adjust ingredients to your taste):

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. of hot sausage (loose or link cut into coins)

1 small yellow onion (chopped)

1 small bulb of garlic (chopped)

1 handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces

s/p

oil

 

seafood stock (+-2 cups)

1 large can of whole San Marzano tomatoes

1 large jar of crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1/2 cup of quality dry white wine

crushed red pepper (+-2 tbsp)

 

Seafood/fish (I use, and recommend a mix of large scallops, shrimp, squid tentacles, chopped and fresh clams, cod fillets...however you can use any mix of your favorite seafood/shellfish); go light on the seafood stock; add the seafood, simmer and taste; add either more stock and/or seafood depending on the amount of diners or preference.

 

parm/romano cheese for serving

escarole (1 head, triple cleansed, spun and chopped)

 

Instructions:

1. Set up your stuff; chop garlic, onion, slice sausage if it is links, clean/de-vein the seafood, clean and chop escarole....

2. In a large soup pot, brown sausage with a splash of oil

3. Add garlic and onion and cook until fragrant. Don't overcook the garlic!

4. S/P and Hot Pepper

5. Add tomatoes, wine, seafood stock and basil

6. Simmer and adjust spices to taste 

*Put bread in oven to warm/crisp*

7. Add seafood and cook approximately 10 minutes before serving. Watch carefully and don't overcook! Don't add your seafood too soon, it cooks almost directly and you don't want to kill it.
8. Taste and adjust spices. Add more red pepper if you want it spicier, add more stock, parm cheese and/or some butter if you want to mellow the acidity.

9. Add escarole and stir in about 5 minutes before serving (or place on top for presentation/tell your guests to stir into their stew)

10. Serve with fresh parm/romano and chunks of warm crusty bread.