Rainy Day Fish Stew

This weekend it rained in Los Angeles.

Whaaaaaaaat?  Yep, it rained.  For twenty whole minutes.  And I enjoyed every single solitary second of it.  It never rains in LA. And when it does, people seriously act as if there has been some sort of horrific natural disaster.  Schools close, people forget how to drive, and rain becomes the number one news story for the day.  Come on people.  Get a grip.

Is it wrong that cloudy, and specifically rainy days, make me the happiest?  Am I like, super dark and mysterious?  I wish.  But honestly, there are few things in life that are better than a cold mid-afternoon rain, a quiet house, and a bowl of soup.  Soup, stew, call it what you will, this sh*t is good.

As I talked on the phone with one of my foodie gal pals this week, (did I just say gal pal?)  I realized as I began to explain what the dish was, that there was nothing I could say to make the phrase “Fish Stew” sound appealing.  Come on… Fish Soup, Fish Stew, Fishy Fish Stew?  Gross.  I get it.

But please trust me on this one.

It’s warm, comforting, tomatoey, (I’m pretty sure that’s not a word) and perfect for dipping with crusty bread.  Add some freshness with some herbs, I use parsley.

In case you were wondering (which you definitely weren’t), I planted that parsley all by myself. That’s right people.  I put it in this cute little pot, set it on my counter top, and successfully watched it die.  WTF!?  I cannot keep a plant alive for the life of me.  Children and dogs?  Somehow I can handle that. But plants, not a chance.

Poor parsley.  At least I got to use its freshness for this dish.  It made my fish stew stew-pendous! (Too much?)

I think it’s time to go.  But seriously, make this.  You won’t be sorry.

Rainy Day Fish Stew

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 2–3 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 1 medium tomato (chopped)
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 8 ounces clam juice (this is the secret weapon)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 lb. fresh halibut fillets (or red snapper, sole, or sea bass, cut in 2-inch pieces)
• ¼ cup parsley (chopped)
• ¼ teaspoon each of dry oregeno (thyme, and pepper)
• A dash of Tabasco (use as much or as little as you like)
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute for a few minutes until translucent.
2. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add tomato and tomato paste, and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Add clam juice, white wine, and fish and simmer about 10 more minutes or until fish is cooked through. Add parsley, dried seasonings, and Tobasco.
4. Serve right away with hot crusty bread for dipping!

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Notes

Adapted from Simply Recipes