Saffron-Scented Tomato Fish Stew

  • Yield:6 servings
  • Time:
    33 mins show details

This is the kind of stew that makes you understand why Mediterranean fishermen have been making versions of it for centuries. The saffron does something magical here — it's not just color, it's that haunting oceanic perfume that makes the whole pot sing. Don't rush this one; the broth needs time to develop its personality.

Tags: seafood, Mediterranean, main dish, soup

Ingredients

  • For the Broth
  • 1
    orange, peel only, cut in 1-inch wide strip
  • 28 ounces
    canned whole tomatoes, roughly broken up
  • 4 cups
    water
  • 1
    bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon
    saffron threads
  • garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon
    dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon
    ground fennel
  • 1 teaspoon
    salt
  • ½ teaspoon
    celery salt
  • ¼ teaspoon
    black pepper, freshly ground
  • 3 tablespoons
    all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup
    cold water
  • For the Seafood
  • 1 pound
    firm white fish, cut into 2-inch chunks (haddock, cod, or lingcod work great)
  • ½ pound
    large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 pound
    mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • ¼ cup
    fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
Add to shopping list

Equipment

  • large heavy pot
  • food processor

Similar Recipes

Preparation

  1. Pulse the tomatoes and their juice in a food processor just until broken up — you want chunky, not smooth.

  2. In a large heavy pot, combine the tomatoes, water, bay leaf, orange peel, and saffron. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Look, the saffron wants to bloom in hot liquid, so don't be shy about that boil.)

  3. 15 mins

    Stir in the garlic, thyme, fennel, salt, celery salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. Whisk the flour with the cold water until completely smooth — no lumps allowed here.

  5. 10 mins

    Slowly stream the flour mixture into the simmering broth while stirring constantly. Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes until thickened and the raw flour taste is gone. (The broth should taste bold and almost too intense at this point — the seafood will mellow it out perfectly.)

  6. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the bay leaf and orange peel.

  7. 3 mins

    Add the mussels to the pot first and simmer for 3-4 minutes until they start to open.

  8. 5 mins

    Gently nestle in the fish chunks and shrimp. Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the fish just flakes and the shrimp are pink. (Don't overcook the fish — it should just barely hold together when you stir.)

  9. Stir in the chopped parsley and discard any mussels that didn't open. Ladle into bowls and hit with more fresh parsley.

Notes

The broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated — just reheat gently before adding the seafood. If you can't find mussels, clams work beautifully too, just give them an extra couple minutes to open.

Comments

Add a comment
No comments