Pax North Coast Ca 2023 Recipe

Prepare aromatics

In a heavy-bottomed wide pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the diced yellow onion and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent and starting to brown around the edges, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build the sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to remove rawness. Add the miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey; whisk to combine. Pour in the 300 ml of water or vegetable stock and bring mixture to a gentle simmer. Lower heat and simmer for 8–10 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; stir in the fresh lemon juice and 1 tbs olive oil off heat.

Cook potatoes and denser vegetables

While the sauce is simmering, in a medium skillet, heat remaining 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat. Add halved baby potatoes cut-side down and cook undisturbed until golden, about 6–8 minutes. Add sliced fennel and leeks, season lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté together for 4–5 minutes until beginning to soften. Transfer potatoes, fennel, and leeks into the simmering sauce.

Add quick-cooking vegetables

Add the julienned red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, and corn kernels to the pot. Continue to simmer gently for 4–6 minutes more, until the peppers are tender-crisp and mushrooms have softened.

Poach the fish

Once the vegetables are nearly tender, raise the sauce to a low simmer (not a hard boil). Season the cubed cod/halibut lightly with salt and pepper and gently nestle the pieces into the simmering sauce so they are partially submerged. Cover the pot and poach the fish for 6–8 minutes, depending on thickness, until opaque and flake easily.

Finish shellfish

After the fish has cooked 3–4 minutes, add the scallops and shrimp to the pot (space them so they cook quickly and evenly). Cover and continue to simmer until scallops are just firm and opaque and shrimp are pink and curled, about 3–4 minutes more. Avoid overcooking — seafood should be just set.

Final enrichment

Stir in the remaining 1 tbs butter to enrich the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt, acid (a squeeze more lemon if desired), or sweetness (a touch more honey if needed).

Remove the pot from heat. Scatter chopped dill and parsley over the stew, sprinkle rehydrated seaweed flakes or wakame and toasted sesame seeds, and add chili flakes if using. Let the stew rest for 2 minutes to marry flavors.

Serve: Ladle the Pacific-coast-inspired seafood stew into shallow bowls, making sure each portion gets a mix of fish, scallops, shrimp, potatoes and vegetables. Offer extra lemon wedges and crusty bread or steamed rice on the side.