Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Add spring pizazz to a hearty stew
Fish stew with Moroccan flavors
Perhaps you are observing the meat-fasts of Lent, but have diminishing interest in the fried fish that seems to signify the season for many Catholics. Perhaps, for reasons of health or economy or philosophy, you have decided to reduce your meat consumption. Perhaps you’re longing for the bright flavors and colors of spring and summer menus. Or, perhaps you just want something on the table that offers a new take on some old favorites — the root vegetables that are still in season but growing over-familiar at the table. Whatever your reason, adding a fresh fish recipe to your repertoire will only enrich you and those you cook for.
This hearty fish and vegetable stew fills the need quite handily. Its complex, layered flavors draw on Morocco’s fascinating court cuisine, but only a couple of ingredients may not be in your pantry already. In Morocco, a tagine of fish would be served over a bed of couscous, and you certainly can serve this stew that way. In my kitchen, though, it tends to come out more as a stew, eaten from a big bowl, and yes, please, I’ll help myself to seconds.
Chermoula is what the Moroccans call the fragrant sauce that often accompanies fish. In a thicker variant, it might be used to stuff a whole roasted fish; loosened with a generous pour of olive oil, as here, it becomes a condiment much like Argentine chimichurri or Yemeni zhug.
Use it with any firm white fish that’s reasonably priced; I don’t care for basa (swai) or tilapia, two farm-raised fish that come from Indochina, most frequently, but if you like them, they’d work here as well. Prep: 25 minutes Marinate: 1 hour, 30 minutes A classic Moroccan chermoula doesn’t include mint, but I’ve added it here for its bright, springy flavor. You may not need all the sauce for the recipe; if you have some left over, it’s also a terrific marinade for chicken, and is a good accompaniment to beef or pork. While the vegetable stew will be delicious without the preserved lemon, it’s definitely worth the effort to find or make preserved lemons for their silky, salty contribution. Sauce: bunch parley bunch cilantro cup fresh mint leaves, packed cloves garlic, peeled teaspoons ground cumin teaspoon each: ground coriander, minced fresh ginger teaspoon each: salt, cayenne pepper teaspoon saffron threads, optional Juice of 1 lemon cup olive oil Stew: portions (4 to 6 ounces each) mild, firm white fish fillets or steaks, such as flounder, sole, halibut, catfish or sea bass tablespoons olive oil medium onion, thinly sliced vertically bell pepper, sliced teaspoon each: salt, ground cumin teaspoon cayenne pepper russet potato, peeled, thinly sliced carrots, sliced diagonally can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes Peel of 1 preserved lemon, cut into slivers, optional cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Picholine, coarsely chopped tablespoon honey teaspoons cinnamon bunch parsley, finely chopped Cook: 50 minutes Makes: 4 servings For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender; whiz until well blended into a thick paste. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Use about half the paste to marinate the fish pieces. If your fish fillets are thin, as with flounder and sole, spread the uppermost side with the sauce, then fold into thirds. Refrigerate fish to marinate for 1 to 2 hours. Set remaining sauce aside. Begin the vegetable stew: Heat olive oil over medium in a large, heavy skillet with a close-fitting lid. Add onion and peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until onions and peppers soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine salt, cumin and cayenne pepper; toss sliced potatoes in spice mixture until they are well-coated. Add carrots, potatoes and diced tomatoes with their juices to the skillet. Stir to blend. Stir in preserved lemon, green olives, honey and cinnamon; bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a slow simmer. If the liquid seems to evaporate, add water to bring the mixture back to a stew-y consistency. When the vegetables are almost tender, 20-25 minutes, stir in chopped parsley. Nestle the fish portions into the vegetable stew, brushing with a little of their marinade if you wish. Re-cover the skillet, and cook until the fish is opaque but still moist, about 15 minutes. To serve, divide the vegetable stew among 4 bowls. Top each portion of stew with fish. Pass additional sauce at table, if desired.
404 calories, 27 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 44 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrates, 12 g sugar, 16 g protein, 1,521 mg sodium, 6 g fiber