Mediterranean Fish Stew

The other day I was surprised to find fresh fish at my local market. This is a very rare thing when you live in the middle of the country, far away from the water. Sure, I can find all sorts of fresh catfish on offer most of the year, but actual fish from the sea? Never! I don't even know how to express how excited I was about this discovery, I wanted to buy it all! I didn't buy it all, but I did go a bit overboard with the amount of fish since I'm the only real fish eater in my family.

When I got home with my fresh fish finds I had no clue what I was going to do. I thought about having fish for 3-4 meals over the next day or so. I thought about making it all at once and making a pig of myself (I really love it that much). I finally decided to disguise the "fishy" flavor of fish by making my favorite fish stew. Surely my fish hating family would eat it with me? I had a lot of hope.

You're probably thinking it's still too hot outside to be eating anything called stew, but I promise this one is great for warm weather. The very light broth is layered with flavors of tomato, fennel, saffron, and orange. It's great for sipping in a cup, slurping with a spoon, or soaking up with a crispy garlic crostini. Any way you decide to devour this dish, it will be a crowd pleaser for fish/seafood loving people. You may even have a chance to convert some non-fish lovers - I did!

Sorry the photo is a bit blurry, I wasn't prepared (couldn't find camera) so I had to take it with my phone before people started eating!

Mediterranean Fish Stew

1T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 celery hearts, finely chopped

8-10 garlic cloves, minced

1 small can of tomato paste

6c fish stock (I actually used 2c clam juice and 4c veggie stock, that's what I had in the house)

pinch of saffron strands

2 fennel bulbs, quartered and sliced thin

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 orange, zest & juice

1lb shrimp, peeled & deveined

1.5lb white fish (cod, halibut, etc), cut into chunks

1lb clams or mussels

1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

1. Add olive oil, onions, celery, and garlic to a large pot. Cook over medium heat until soft and translucent. Cover and stir often so it doesn't brown. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes.

2. Stir in can of tomato paste and heat for about a minute.

3. Add in the fish stock and saffron. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes to reduce the stock.

4. Stir in the fennel, tomato, and orange zest. Let simmer for another 20 minutes or until the fennel is tender. Then, add in the orange juice.

5. Finish by bringing the broth to a boil and adding in all the fish at once. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and top with parsley. Serve immediately.

I served this with a light tomato, avocado and onion salad, garlic crostini, and lots of white wine.

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