How could Vrghr contemplate cooking in Florida, without taking advantage of all the lovely seafood flavors found here?
Again, wuff kept his family’s dietary desires in mind. This dish is pescatarian and ‘almost’ Keto; it has a bit of potato and flour to thicken things up. But wuff used very small amounts, just 3 Tablespoons of flour and 6 “baby” yellow potatoes. When spread across a pot of nearly 6 quarts of stew, they don’t add too many carbs to the dish.

This is a very hearty stew, with very strong fish and seafood flavors. Lightly smoked salmon and smoked paprika give it a noticeable smoky component. The various fish selections provide significantly different flavors and textures to the seafood components. And wuff added crayfish tails and crab to stand in for the shrimp that this type of stew normally features, as one of the family here is allergic to those.

This is not a typical chowder or bisque. It borrows from many sources. Corn adds sweet pops, tomatoes bring some vegetal complexity, as do the aromatic veggies that build the sauce’s flavor base. White wine adds acid to cut through the rich cream, along with some lovely flavor complexity. There’s a hint of orange from the zest, but it disappears among the strong seafood flavors, leaving just a suggestion in the aroma.

This one is definitely for the seafood and fish lovers! There’s no escaping the pronounced fish collection it brings. But, if you’re a seafood fan, it won’t leave you wanting!

Note: This makes a LOT of stew. Luckily, it stores well.

INGREDIENTS:
3 TBS unsalted Butter
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 med Onion, diced
½ Poblano Pepper, diced
½ Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Carrot, shredded
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 TBS Garlic Paste
1 TBS Roasted Garlic Paste
1 TBS Anchovy Paste
2 TBS Tomato Paste
1 TBS Smoked Paprika
1 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
½ tsp Thyme leaves
½ tsp Tarragon
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
8oz canned Kernel Corn
2-3 TBS AP Flour
1 C White Wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
1 bottle (8oz) Clam Juice
2 C Shrimp Stock (Knor Boullion, 2 cubes+2C Warm Water)
6 ‘baby’ yellow potatoes
½ C chopped Fresh Parsley
12oz canned Crab Meat
6oz Barramundi
6oz Salted Pollack (thoroughly rinsed!)
6oz Crawfish Tail Meat
8oz Mahi Mahi
8oz Whiting
8oz Ahi Tuna
8oz Snapper
8oz lightly smoked Salmon
2 C Heavy Cream

DIRECTIONS:
The day before, soak the salt pollock in fresh water. Soak for at least 12 hours, draining and refilling at least 3 times, rinsing off the salt.

Remove the skin from any fish, and cut into approximately 1 ½ inch chunks (bite-sized)
Cut up the baby potatoes into quarters. This will help them cook more quickly so they blend smoothly

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter with the olive oil until foamy. Add the tomato and anchovy paste and sauté until the tomatoes are darkened and caramelized. Add the garlic paste and continue sauteing until fragrant

Add all the diced veggies (except the potatoes) and kernel corn and season with the herbs and spices. Cook until the carrots are tender, the onions translucent, and the spices ‘bloom’ and are fragrant. If the mix looks a bit dry, add another tablespoon or two of butter


Add the white wine and cook until reduced by about half

Add the flour and cook until the raw edge is gone, about 2-3 minutes

Add the clam juice and shrimp stock. Stir to combine and remove any lumps from the flour. Add the baby potatoes and the chopped parsley. Allow to simmer for the flavors to meld and the potatoes to cook until a knife slides in easily, ~5-9 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep things from scorching on the bottom

Using a hand blender, blend everything together until smooth

Add the canned crab meat and all the cut-up fish. Stir in and simmer until the fish is tender and flaky, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep things from sticking on the bottom

Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for another 3 minutes to warm through

Serve with crusty garlic bread

!DEVOUR!