Fisherman’s Stew Recipe

Rinse mussels and clams under cold water, discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. Pat all seafood dry with paper towels. Cut cod into 1½-inch pieces if whole fillet; ensure salmon is cut to 1-inch cubes. Keep shrimp, calamari rings separate in a bowl. Season all seafood lightly with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and refrigerate until ready.

Place saffron threads in 2 tablespoons of warm water and let bloom for 10 minutes to extract color and flavor.

Sweat aromatics

In a wide heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 3 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sliced fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown.

Deglaze & build flavor

Add 1 cup dry white wine to the pot to deglaze, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and the bay leaf.

Add tomatoes, stock & saffron

Pour in the 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 2 cups fish stock (or clam juice), and 2 cups water. Add the saffron with its soaking water. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to marry flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and additional black pepper if needed.

Add the firmest seafood first: gently add the cod and salmon pieces to the simmering broth. Simmer gently (not a rolling boil) for 4–5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and calamari rings to the pot and simmer for another 2–3 minutes until shrimp turn pink and calamari is opaque and tender.

Add mussels and clams, cover the pot with a lid and increase heat to medium-high for 3–5 minutes, or until all shells have opened. Discard any mussels or clams that remain closed. Stir gently once to combine. The total time after fish goes in should be about 10–12 minutes so seafood does not overcook.

Stir in chopped parsley and lemon zest. Taste broth and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt or red pepper flakes if desired. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Split the baguette lengthwise or slice into 1-inch slices leaving base intact for a pull-apart style.

In a small bowl, combine 4 tbs softened butter, 1 tbs olive oil, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tbs chopped parsley and 1/4 tsp salt. Spread the mixture evenly over the cut surfaces of the bread.

Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp at the edges, about 8–10 minutes. For extra color, broil 1–2 minutes watching closely. If using lemon wedge, rub a little lemon on the toasted bread just before serving for brightness.

Ladle the Fisherman’s Stew into wide shallow bowls so each portion has a mixture of fish, shrimp, mussels/clams, and calamari plus broth. Spoon some fennel and tomato in each bowl. Garnish with additional chopped parsley and fennel fronds if desired.

Serve immediately with slices of warm garlic bread alongside for dipping into the saffron tomato broth.