Fisherman's Stoup
Prepare the seafood base in advance to reheat later. When ready to serve, add the fish to the hot base and cook for five minutes for a sensational seafood stoup.
Ingredients
For the seafood base:
- 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 Fresno chili pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 fresh bay leaves
For the soup base:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 6 anchovy filets
- 4 small ribs celery, chopped
- 2 starchy potatoes, peeled and chopped into small dice
- 1 red pepper, cored and finely chopped
- 1/2 bottle lager beer (about 6 ounces)
- 1 can diced tomatoes or chunky-style crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound cod, cut into chunks
- 1 pound sea scallops
- 1 loaf ciabatta or other crusty bread of choice, for serving
Preparation
For the seafood base: Place the red onion, chili pepper, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves in a food processor and process the ingredients into a paste.
For the soup base: In a Dutch oven, heat the EVOO and anchovies over medium-high heat. When the anchovies melt into the EVOO, add the seafood base and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add the celery, potatoes and red pepper and cover the pot for 4-5 minutes to sweat them out, stirring occasionally. Deglaze the pot with beer. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until it has reduced by a third, then turn off the heat, cool and store for a make-ahead meal.
To reheat: Reheat over medium-high heat. Crust up and warm the bread in a hot oven. When the stoup comes to a boil, fold or nestle the cod and scallops into the liquid and return to a bubble. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the fish is opaque and cooked through, then turn off the heat. Serve immediately with lots of bread for mopping.
