This popular San Francisco fish stew bears resemblance to the flavors you would find on the Tuscan coast and even shares similarities with bouillabaisse. However, unlike the traditional French dish, this recipe is easily adaptable to the available seafood in local waters. With a rich tomato base infused with Italian-American influence from garlic and herbs, this seafood showstopper is simple yet impressive.
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Serves: 4
For the sauce:
– 1 onion
– 1 red pepper
– 5 garlic cloves
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– Salt
– 1 tbsp dried oregano
– 1 bay leaf
– ½ tsp chilli flakes
– 50g tomato puree
– 100ml dry white vermouth or wine
– 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
– Sourdough bread, to serve
For the seafood:
– 8 large raw shell-on prawns or 4 langoustines
– 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
– 12 live mussels (about 160g), cleaned
– 200g white fish fillet
– A few fresh thyme sprigs
– 2 small brown crabs, halved
– 400g live clams
– 4 scallops
– 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving
1. A note on the seafood:
Feel free to use the seafood listed in the ingredients as a guideline. You can choose your own mix based on preference and availability. You can even skip the prawns and use ready-made fish stock instead. Adjust cooking times accordingly, especially if using precooked crab, which should be added at the end to warm through.
2. Prepare the soup base:
Finely chop the onion, dice the red pepper, and crush the garlic cloves. Set them aside individually while heating the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, sauté until softened.
3. Sauté the pepper and garlic:
Add the diced pepper to the saucepan and continue frying until both the pepper and onion are soft but not colored. Add the crushed garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and chili. Fry for a couple more minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
4. Add the tomato and wine:
Stir in the tomato puree and wine until the puree dissolves. Then, add the chopped tomatoes. Fill one empty tin with water, swirl to rinse, and repeat with the second tin. Pour this tomato liquid into the pan.
5. Simmer until thickened:
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for approximately 45 minutes until the consistency resembles a thick soup rather than a chunky sauce. The cooking time may vary depending on the size of your pan and heat source. Season with salt to taste.
6. Now for the stock:
Peel the prawns and set the meat aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. If you’re using the same pan as the sauce, remove it and transfer it to a bowl. Fry the prawn heads and tails in the oil until they turn pink.
7. Finish the stock:
Pour 800ml water into the pan with prawn heads, stir, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock, discarding the prawn shells. You should have approximately 400ml of stock. If not, add water to make up the difference. You can prepare the recipe up until this point a day before serving. Refrigerate the sauce and stock until ready to use.
8. Prepare the seafood:
Remove the beards from the mussels and devein the prawns. If necessary, remove the skin from the fish fillet and cut it into large chunks. Combine the sauce and stock in the largest saucepan you have. Add the thyme leaves and bring to a simmer. If using raw crabs, add them, cover, and cook for five minutes.
9. Finishing touches:
Add the clams and mussels to the pot, cover, and cook for another three minutes. Finally, add the scallops, prawns, and fish. Cover and cook for three to five minutes until the seafood is opaque and all the mussels and clams have opened. Discard any that remain closed. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Divide the stew between bowls, top with chopped parsley, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with sourdough bread.
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