Provençal Fish Stew
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup cooked or canned chickpeas
- 4tablespoons olive oil
- 1cup fresh bread crumbs
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼cup niçoise or oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped
- 1tablespoon capers, chopped
- 2 or 3anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 2tablespoons tomato paste
- 1pound spinach
- 2cups fish or vegetable stock, or water
- Pinch red chile flakes (optional)
- 8ounces squid, roughly chopped
- 8ounces shrimp, roughly chopped
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
448 calories; 19 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 49 grams protein; 963 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Drain chickpeas. If you used dried, reserve cooking liquid; if they are canned, discard the liquid and rinse the chickpeas. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re crisp and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
- Step 2
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet; increase heat to medium-high. When oil is hot, add garlic, olives, capers and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, a minute or two. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it darkens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 3
Start adding spinach a handful at a time; keep stirring until all the spinach fits in the pan and starts to release its water; sprinkle with a little more pepper, then add the stock, chickpeas and red chile flakes if you’re using them. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, then stir in the squid and the shrimp. Cook until the seafood is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 4
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide among bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a wonderful recipe. After making this dish many times, I have settled upon an additional 8 ounces of cubed cod or turbot and cut the amount of spinach to 1/2 lb.
My wife isn't a big fan of chic peas, so I substituted cannelini beans and added some fresh clams. Toasted baguette slices to soak up the broth and a good wine and life was good.
Doubled the recipe. Several problems. 1) Bread crumbs absorbed almost all the broth. It was fish in sludge 2) Provencal flavors were virtually undetectable. Needed double the olives, capers, anchovies and garlic. And sun-dried tomatoes would help. 3) A half cup of white wine in the broth or a slug of Pernod in the finished dish would help conjure aromas of Marseille. Next time half the bread crumbs, or none at all.
This really is easy. You can do all the prep work—bread crumbs, chick peas, garlic, anchovies, capers and tomato paste beforehand then before serving, add the spinach, stock and fish. For 8-10 people I added two 8 ounce halibut filets, two lobster tails, 1/2 scallops along with the 15 shrimp and 4 squid sliced. So divine. I put some silk chili powder in but you can pass that.
So simple to put together -- I substituted Swiss chard (stems chopped and sautéed with the onions) for the spinach and white beans for the garbanzos since we had hummus as an appetizer. Skipped the olives because not everyone in family cares for, used Calamari steaks for the squid (not the best substitution but still tasty), and accidentally dumped a bunch of Chili d'arbor dried red pepper flakes. Delicious but now I still have high expectations and want to try the actual recipe, too!
My tomatoless variation: Made two (large) servings w/ 4 each little neck clams, mussels, shrimp, plus small pieces of halibut and cod. Veggies: onions, garlic, celery, carrots, fennel bulb. Made a 45-minute veggie stock and a 10-minute stock from 1 bottle clam juice plus fish skin and shrimp shells. Plus wine, of course. Used a squirt each tomato paste and anchovy paste. Added the fennel seeds and crushed red pepper flakes to the oil and let sizzle for a few seconds before sautéing the vegetables. Added the saffron and thyme later. Followed advice in comments here to not cook the lemon slices. Added them at the very end along with some zest and the parsley. Meant to add Pernod but forgot! Was very lovely.