Fish and shellfish stew with new red potatoes is a savory meal in one dish that will satisfy the diners around your table without delivering an overload of calories and fat. The stew gets depth of flavor from its fresh ingredients and a subtle balance of seasonings.
Preparation takes only 15 minutes, and cooking takes another 30 minutes of kitchen time, all on the stove top. The result is a light but nourishing main course, a fine top-of-the-menu item for many spring into summer occasions.
Recipe and photo are from “Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Main Dishes” (Free Press, 2006, $19.95 paperback). This glossy, generously illustrated, large-format book is part of a series that offers “colorful recipes for health and well-being.” Other titles available are “Starters” and “Desserts.”
A distinction of the books is that the recipes are organized by color. The reason stated is that the naturally occurring pigments that give vibrant colors to fruits and vegetables offer a variety of health benefits – and the recipes offer ways of using a rainbow of ingredients to advantage. The books also include general background information, cooking tips, glossary and nutrition analyses.
This fish stew with its new red potatoes is from the red section in “Main Dishes”; each book features sections for purple and blue; green; white and tan; yellow and orange; red; and brown.
Fish and Shellfish Stew With New Red Potatoes
(Start to finish 45 minutes)
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onion and saute until onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Raise heat to medium, add potatoes, and cook until nearly fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
Cut fillets into 1-inch pieces and add to pan along with scallops. Cook until just opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into warmed bowls to serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 278 cal., 43 g pro., 17 g carbo., 4 g total fat (1 g saturated), 88 mg chol., 2 g fiber, 478 mg sodium.
