A Variation on Provençal Seafood Stew
David Scott Allen · Fish & Seafood · Main Course · Provencal Recipes · TasteSeafood defines the coastline cuisine in Provence after all this is a place where Marseille proudly boasts about the Bouillabaisse Charter. It is also where you can buy seafood of every description in the Martigues market, and the fishmongers can tell you the names of the ugliest fish in (or out of) the sea.
David says it was fortuitous that he received a bottle of Whispering Angel rosé at the same time as a recipe for Provençal Seafood Stew appeared in the New York Times. The following is the Cocoa & Lavender adaptation of a classic stew or soup from Provence.
Provençal Seafood Stew
This recipe from Cocoa & Lavender was adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpeas canned
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup breadcrumbs fresh
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 shallot(s) minced
- 1/4 cup oil-cured olives pitted and sliced
- 2 tbsp capers
- 3 anchovy fillets finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- large pinch piment d’Espelette or chilli flakes
- 6 oz spinach
- 2 cups fish stock or shrimp stock
- 5 oz cod sliced
- 8 oz Squid roughly chopped
- 8 oz medium shrimp shelled and deveined
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- When hot, add bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re crisp and toasted, 5-7 minutes.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet; increase heat to medium-high.
- When oil is hot, add shallot, olives, capers and anchovies.
- Cook, stirring, until fragrant - a minute or two.
- Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it darkens slightly – about 2 minutes.
- Add the spinach, stirring until it starts to release its water; add the stock and chickpeas.
- When it returns to a gentle boil, stir in the cod, squid, and shrimp.
- Cook until the seafood is just cooked through, 3-5 minutes.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the stew and stir a couple of times.
- Divide among bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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