Recipe of the Month: Seafood and White Bean Stew

“This is a quick and hearty dish by Chef Anna March of the Urban Element! The light seafood contrasts well with the more robust beans, while the jalapeño, fennel and cilantro add zest. The homemade bread is perfect as a side, or to dip in the stew. As always, the sustainable Argentina red shrimp and Lake Erie pickerel from the Whalesbone Supply are the stars of the dish.”

Recipe courtesy of Chefx. Read more about Chefx in our Discover Ottawa column this month.

DIFFICULTY: Easy

ESTIMATED TIME: 40 mins

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 10 oz skinless pickerel or bass fillet
  • 6 sprigs cilantro
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 1 small head fennel
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 small Spanish onion
  • 1 cube organic vegetable stock
  • 14 oz white kidney beans
  • 1 small roasted red pepper
  • 2/3 cup diced tomatoes
  • 6 strands saffron
  • 3 tbsp dry white wine
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 half-loaf fresh crusty bread

Instructions:

GETTING STARTED

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Set a kettle of water to boil.
  • Check fish for bones.

PREPARE INGREDIENTS

  • Onion: chop finely
  • Garlic: mince
  • Jalapeño pepper (1/3): mince
  • Roasted red pepper: chop
  • Lemon: zest and juice
  • Fennel: core, then chop finely
  • Parsley (2 tbsp): chop
  • Cilantro (2 tbsp): chop
  • Fish: chop into bite-size pieces
  • Vegetable stock: dissolve ½ cube in 1 cup boiling water

START THE STEW

  • In a large oven-safe sauté pan (or saucepan), heat 1 tbsp canola oil over high heat. Add onion, garlic, fennel and jalapeño and sauté for 3 min.
  • Add white wine and saffron and bring to a simmer.
  • Add tomatoes and roasted red pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for 10 min.

CONTINUE THE STEW

  • Add beans, lemon juice and zest, 1/3 cup vegetable stock and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. Set aside the rest of the stock, as it will not be used.

ADD THE FISH AND BAKE

  • In a mixing bowl, season shrimp and fish with 1 tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add shrimp and fish overtop of bean stew, place in oven, and bake until seafood is cooked through (approx. 10 min). (Alternatively, transfer stew to a casserole dish before baking.)

FINISH/SERVE

  • Ladle stew into two bowls. Garnish with parsley and cilantro, and serve with crusty bread on the side. Enjoy!