Name: Seafood Stew with Fennel & Tomatoes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1 large onion, diced ((about 10 ounces)); 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, cored & thinly sliced, fronds reserved ((about 20 ounces)); 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste; 2 teaspoons minced garlic; ½ cup dry white wine; 2 tablespoons Pernod ((optional)); 6 cups seafood stock, plus extra to finish ((or vegetable stock)); 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes; 2 bay leaves; 1 large fresh thyme sprig; 1 ½ pound red-skinned potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes ((or turnips for low-carb option)); kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste; 1 pound cod, cut into 1 ½- inch pieces ((can be substituted with haddock or halibut)); 1 ½ pound jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 lemon, cut in wedges ((for serving))

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Shrimp + Fennel + Tomatoes = Delicious. Add a light flavorful broth with some diced potatoes and mild fish chunks for good measure. You now have the perfect summer supper. Or anytime supper. To be honest, we enjoy this Seafood Stew with Fennel & Tomatoes all year long.

If you are limiting the number of carbs in your diet, you can simply eliminate the potatoes. Or you could try replacing the potatoes with turnips. The carb count would drop a bit.

I was inspired to make this dish while browsing through the Williams-Sonoma website. The recipe was featured as an incentive to use (or purchase) the Cuisinart multicooker. Since I don’t have one of those, I tweaked and adjusted so that this could be prepared on the stovetop.

Let’s gather up the ingredients you’ll need to make your Seafood Stew with Fennel & Tomatoes…

Olive oil – I typically use extra-virgin olive oil. It’s a healthy choice and adds a pronounced peppery fruity flavor. Of course, you could use regular olive oil or any neutral oil such as avocado oil or refined coconut oil. It’s advisable to avoid seed oils since they can be toxic when heated.
Onion – Chopped. White, yellow or sweet onions may be used.
Fennel bulb – Cored & thinly sliced. If desired, save a few feathery fronds for garnish. The somewhat strong anise flavor is more pronounced in raw fennel. When sautéed or roasted, fennel has a sweet, nutty, and slightly caramelized flavor, with a softened, tender texture.
Tomato paste – Tomato paste adds a burst of umami, with its concentrated sweetness and mild acidity.
Garlic – Finely minced. To avoid unwanted chunks, use your garlic press or cheese grater.
Dry white wine – The high acidity helps brighten and balance the flavors of the broth without overpowering it. If you prefer to not use the wine, replace it with seafood stock.
Pernod – Totally optional. Pernod is a French liqueur that has the strong, dominant flavor of anise and licorice, with subtle notes of fennel, coriander, and mint.
Seafood stock – Readily available in most stores. Seafood stock is a golden, flavorful base that is made when water is simmered with seafood shells, bones, herbs, and vegetables.
Canned crushed tomatoes – Crushed tomatoes are a mixture of finely diced tomatoes in a tomato puree. They have a much smoother texture than diced tomatoes and are the ideal thickness for adding substance to soups & stews.
Bay leaves – Bay leaves add a subtle, herbal, and slightly floral flavor, with notes of thyme and oregano. Remove & discard before serving.
Fresh thyme sprig – Fresh thyme has a distinctive, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor with hints of sweetness and a subtle, floral aroma. Remove & discard sprig before serving.
Red-skinned potatoes – Peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes. If trying to cut down on your carb intake, cubed turnips would be a good choice. Also, if you’ll be freezing any leftovers – turnips would be a better choice since potatoes tend to get mushy in the freezer.
Salt & freshly ground black pepper – To taste.
Fresh cod – Cut into one-and-a-half-inch pieces. Cod is a popular fish known for its mild flavor and dense, flaky flesh. In lieu of fresh cod, you could use previously frozen cod. The wild-caught variety is always recommended. If necessary, haddock and halibut are excellent substitutes for cod.
Jumbo shrimp – Peeled & deveined. Wild-caught shrimp are recommended for their superior taste and texture, stemming from their natural diet.
Fresh flat-leaf parsley – Chopped. The tender fresh herb is always preferred over the dried variety. Fresh parsley has a clean peppery taste with a touch of earthiness. Adds a brightness to the final dish. Save some to sprinkle over each bowl when serving.
Lemon – Cut into wedges, for serving.

You begin by sautéing the fennel and onion …from that point on, the process moves along quickly. So, as always, it’s a good plan to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready.

I’m using my Le Creuset deep sauté pan for this since it holds over four quarts …and because it’s amazing. You can use any deep pan or a dutch oven, as long as it has a capacity of four-and-a-half quarts at the very least.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan or stock pot (of at least 4 1/2 quart capacity) over medium heat.
Add the onion and fennel.
Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and translucent.

Add the tomato paste and garlic; cook while stirring for 1 minute.
Add the wine and Pernod (if using), cook while stirring for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and potatoes.
Increase the heat to medium-high.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat low-medium.
Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

The fish and shrimp are briefly cooked in a separate pan, then added at the last minute to the final dish. That way you avoid overcooking them. Any skillet or grill pan will do the trick. This one happens to be my favorite.

Meanwhile, in separate bowls, toss the fish with a tablespoon of the olive oil.
And toss the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in second bowl.
Season both lightly with salt and pepper.

Just before broth mixture is done, preheat a large saute or grill pan to medium.
Add the fish to the pan and cook, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes until opaque.
Gently push the cooked fish to the side and add the shrimp to the pan.
Cook the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes until opaque.

Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig from the broth.
Add add the cooked fish and shrimp to the broth.

Gently fold them in with the fresh parsley.
Serve immediately, with lemon wedges and fennel fronds as garnish.

Your delicious Seafood Stew with Fennel & Tomatoes is ready to be enjoyed.

Be sure to have some extra seafood stock handy.
If the stew is a bit thick, add some additional stock before removing the pan from the heat.

It’s almost a requirement that you have some hearty bread on hand with this one. My family especially enjoys dipping some grilled bread into that awesome broth.

Seafood Stew with Fennel & Tomatoes

Loosely adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

Light & delicious, all served up in a flavorful broth.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced (about 10 ounces)
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, cored & thinly sliced, fronds reserved (about 20 ounces)
1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Pernod (optional)
6 cups seafood stock, plus extra to finish (or vegetable stock)
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 large fresh thyme sprig
1 ½ pound red-skinned potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes (or turnips for low-carb option)
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound cod, cut into 1 ½- inch pieces (can be substituted with haddock or halibut)
1 ½ pound jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, cut in wedges (for serving)

Instructions

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan or stock pot (of at least 4 ½ quart capacity) over medium heat.
Add onion and fennel. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and translucent. Add tomato paste and garlic; cook while stirring for one minute. Add wine and Pernod (if using), cook while stirring for two minutes.
Add the stock, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and potatoes(or turnips). Increase the heat to medium-high. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, in separate bowls, toss the fish with one tablespoon of the olive oil and the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season both lightly with salt and pepper.
Just before broth mixture is done, preheat a large saute or grill pan to medium. Add the fish to the pan and cook, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes until opaque. Gently push the cooked fish to the side and add the shrimp to the pan. Cook the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes until opaque.
Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig from the broth. Add the cooked fish and shrimp. Gently fold them in with the fresh parsley. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges and fennel fronds as garnish.

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