I served Craig Claiborne’s version of this dish the first time I cooked for my future wife almost 40 years ago. Little did I know at that time that she would become my favorite sous chef and hostess for dinner parties at Chez Fairfield. The original recipe, “Fish Soup au Cognac”, comes from the New York Times International Cookbook by Craig Claiborne, but I have altered it over the years to make it my own and a bit more like a chowder than a soup. According to Claiborne, the original version makes a wonderful starter for a larger meal. My version incorporates the tastes into a meal in itself. Enjoy them both!

Wooing Fish Chowder

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

1 pound cod or other white, firm-fleshed fish cut into 2-3 inch chunks.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion (or finely sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only)
1 cup chopped fennel bulb or celery (fennel cored, white part only; fronds reserved for garnish)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (¾ teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
½ teaspoon saffron crumbled (optional)
a couple of dashes of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce
1-8 ounce bottle clam juice
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup canned crushed tomatoes or puree
1 large white Russet potato cut into ½ inch chunks
3 tablespoons Brandy or Cognac
5 cups of ½ and ½ cream
½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
1-2 tablespoons Anisette, Pernod, or other anise-flavored liquor (optional but recommended)
fennel fronds for garnish

Preparation:

In a dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic, fennel (or celery), fennel seeds, thyme, and saffron until the onion is wilted and the fennel has softened.
Add the wine, crushed tomatoes, and clam juice and bring to a boil stirring constantly until the mixture reduces and begins to thicken; lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes, then add water to cover the potatoes, and boil until almost tender when pierced with a fork (about 10-15 minutes)
Add the fish and lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 3-4 minutes
Add the cream, salt and pepper, and Brandy and simmer on low for about 5 minutes until the soup is hot. (Do not boil or the cream will curdle.)
Remove from heat, add Anisette, and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve garnished with reserved fennel fronds and accompanied with good crusty bread for dipping.

Wine pairing: non-oaky Chardonnay, Chablis, White Burgundy, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, Albariño, Verdejo

Print Recipe

Variations of the famous French fish stew, Bouillabaisse, can be found in almost any coastal town on the Mediterranean Sea. Bouillabaisse purists, among them the Michelin Guide Vert, love to point out that authentic Bouillabaisse is only made using racasse, a rock fish local to Marseille. Legend has it that, Bouillabaisse originated from the kitchens of local fishermen who made a fish stew using the trash fish from their catch of the day. Julia Child wrote: "to me the telling flavor of bouillabaisse comes from two things: the Provençal soup base—garlic, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, fennel, saffron, thyme, bay, and usually a bit of dried orange peel—and, of course, the fish—lean (non-oily), firm-fleshed, soft-fleshed, gelatinous, and shellfish." So, channeling Julia’s common sense approach to cooking, and not wanting to insult the folks at the Michelin Guide Vert, this recipe uses the traditional flavors of a bouillabaisse paired with our local New England seafood and we call it Mediterranean Fish Stew. No matter what you call it, it’s delicious!

6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved and thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced, fronds reserved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups seafood stock or bottled clam juice
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Pinch saffron (if you don’t want to spend the money on saffron you can substitute 1 packet of Sazón with Saffron seasoning)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped (tough stems removed)
1 bay leaf
2 pounds cod, cut into 3 inch serving size pieces
1 ½ pounds shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1 ½ pounds mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. Anisette, Pernod, or Pastis (optional)
Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation:

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the seafood stock or clam juice, tomatoes, orange zest and juice, saffron, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced slightly, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Add the cod and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and mussels and cover the pot. Simmer until the seafood is fully cooked (the fish will be firm, the shrimp will be pink, and the mussels will be open and plump and juicy), about 4 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.

4. Stir in the parsley and anise flavored liquor. Top with the reserved fennel fronds and serve with the bread.

Adapted from: https://www.purewow.com/recipes/30-minute-one-pot-cheaters-bouillabaisse

print recipe

Wooing Fish Chowder →