cioppino: aka fish stew

my lovely husband did it again.

he spent sunday evening in the kitchen and made a delicious meal for us.

this sunday it was cioppino, a portuguese fish stew.

and it was so yummy and perfect for the cooler tempertaures we are experiencing in dc.

interested in making a little fish stew yourself??

• 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded and bulb cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in juice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup full-bodied red wine such as Zinfandel or Syrah
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
• 1 pound skinless fillets of thick white-fleshed fish such as halibut (jeff used halibut), hake, or pollack, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 pound cultivated mussels

then.....

pulse fennel, onion, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped. heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then stir in chopped vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. add tomatoes with their juice, water, wine, and clam juice and boil, covered, 20 minutes. stir in seafood and cook, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through and mussels open wide, 4 to 6 minutes (discard any that remain unopened after 6 minutes). discard bay leaves.

enjoy!