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Mussels & Fish in a Spicy Tomato Stew

mussels-tomato-sauce-stew

With the weather starting to cool out here, I’ve found myself loving to make (and eat!) more warm, rustic, comfort foods. You know, the kind you cook up in one-pot or casserole and serve it family style for dinner. This spicy mussels and fish stew is just one of those dishes and is a favourite in our household. It just makes us feel nice and cozy inside… even when it’s 29C (84F) outside and considered fall/autumn in Dubai!

Inspired by an Italian-America seafood stew known as Cioppino that originates from San Francisco, this recipe is simplified by only using mussels and fish. However, you may add prawns or squid if you like to make it even heartier.

It’s an easy, one-pot meal that is light yet filling; and slightly messy but fun to eat as you pick the mussels off their shells with little veggies. The stew is full of hearty tomatoes with a bit of a spicy kick from red chilli flakes. You may use whatever fresh white fish that you like or that’s available at your market. I prefer the firmer variety so that it doesn’t flake during cooking, and you get nice bite-size pieces.

Serve this stew in large bowls with lemon wedges and freshly chopped parsley, and enjoy it with your favorite toasted sourdough bread to soak up all that delicious tomato sauce.

cioppino-seafood-stew-mussels

Mussels & Fish in a Spicy Tomato Stew

Created by on October 12, 2016

Easy, one-pot comfort dish with mussels, fish, and spicy tomato sauce

  • Prep Time: 15m
  • Cook Time: 45m
  • Total Time: 1h

Ingredients

  • 1 kg mussels
  • 500 g any firm white fish filet (hamour, pacific cod, grouper, haddock, swordfish)
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 large carrot
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. red chilli flakes
  • 2 L fish stock (depending on how thick you like your stew)
  • 500 g canned diced tomatoes
  • 500 g canned strained tomatoes
  • 1 c dry white wine (optional. you can sub more stock or water)
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper to taste (check stock before adding)
  • 1 crusty sourdough baguette, rolls, or loaf

Instructions

  1. Cut all the vegetables in very small dice and set aside.
  2. Scrub, de-beard, and rinse the mussels*, discarding any that are already open. Dice white fish into bite-size pieces, and set aside.
  3. In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and cook the onions, bell pepper, and carrots until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, chili flakes, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the canned diced tomatoes and cook for a further few minutes.
  5. Stir in the wine, stock, mussel juice, and strained tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 min to reduce and develop flavor.
  6. Add the mussels to the stew, cover and simmer for 8 min until they open and release their juices.
  7. Add the fish and gently stir. Cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste the stew for seasoning. If it needs a little more salt, that's when you can add it.
  8. Ladle the stew into warm bowls, with lemon wedges, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley, and serve with toasted crusty sourdough bread.

Note

  1. *If the mussels come pre-cooked in a vacuum sealed bag, just remove and place them into a bowl. Strain and reserve the mussel juice to add to the stock. The juice will be salty, so don't add any salt to the stock until towards the end of cooking.
Source: Roya Tarzaban

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