September in New England is known for being weather-temperamental (emphasis on the "mental" part) as we can experience just about all weather patterns in one day. We have a saying here in New England where if you are discussing what the weather will be, we simply say, "Wait five minutes. We might need to wear a hooded sweater in the morning. By lunch, it can be shorts/t-shirt/flip-flops, by supper time, we are back in the hooded sweater and putting our pants back on. We are a special breed that has lived like this for generations. One of the best things about this time of year is that we are transitioning into Autumn (aka Fall), where small puffs of colorful leaves are starting to come out. Bold red, orange, yellow, purple, even chocolate brown colored leaves start coming out and we know it won't be long before we start diving into more comfort foods.
This stew is the best of Summer and Fall. With fresh flavors of farmstands, the ocean, and all the feels of what comfort food brings, this dish is a happy medium as we transition into cooler temperatures. Fresh seafood is what New England is known for. With fresh cod, vegetables, and a few other easy-to-find ingredients, let's give you a bowl of comfort.
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PLEASE NOTE: The video will show the use of a mandoline slicer for this. If you have this, please proceed with caution. Use either the safeguard plate or a "cut glove" and pay close attention to what you are doing. Keep the kids out of the kitchen for your safety and theirs. Otherwise, this is an excellent recipe to practice your knife skills.
INGREDIENTS:
1lb Cod, fresh - divided into four pieces 1 QT Tomato sauce, strained
16oz Vegetable or Fish Stock 8oz Pinot Grigio
8oz Spinach, thawed and drained
1 Fennel, small, fronds removed, stems sliced thin, bulb sliced thin 4oz Carrot, thinly sliced 4oz Onion, thinly sliced 4oz Zucchini, thinly sliced 4oz Roma Tomato, small dice 4-6 TB Herbs de Provence
2oz Scallions, thinly sliced (Optional)
1-2oz Garlic, minced
1-2oz Dill, fresh, chopped (Optional)
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Butter
INGREDIENTS:
1.) Begin unpacking your fish and dry them with a paper towel. You can either reuse the paper wrap it came in or a paper plate, and cut into four portions (or the number of servings you want). Begin seasoning your fish with kosher salt and black pepper to your liking. It will make things easier for you to blend your kosher salt and black pepper for this step. Set these aside. Discard any wrapping from your fish and make sure to wash your hands.
2.) Make sure all your produce has been rinsed and patted dry. Pour off your strained tomato sauce, stock, and wine into individual containers. Set this aside next to your stove.
3.) Prep your vegetables
Fennel
Remove the crown of stems with one solid knife cut at the base of the stems.
Remove the fronds from the stems - place them into a small container.
Slice the fennel bulb in half, width-wise.
With your knife, begin slicing the fennel stems into thin rounds. This should be as thin as you can.
With your mandoline slicer (using the guard and/or cut glove) on an approximate 4mm set-up, carefully slice your fennel bulb.
Carrot
Peel the skin and remove tops and bottoms.
With your mandoline slicer (using the guard and/or cut glove) on an approximate 4mm set-up, carefully slice your carrot into thin chips.
Onion & Zucchini
Slice top and bottom off. Carefully score the outer skin with your knife from top to bottom and remove the outer skin.
Cut onion in half.
Cut Zucchini in half. Core out the soft seeds.
With your mandoline slicer (using the guard and/or cut glove) - on an approximate 4mm set-up, carefully slice your onion and zucchini into thin sliver cuts. You can also use your knife for this cut as well.
Roma Tomato
With your knife, cut the tomato into small diced cuts.
Frozen Spinach
Portioned spinach to a strainer and run through cool water to speed-thaw.
Squeeze the water out of the spinach. Begin breaking up the spinach.
Scallions & Garlic
Slice off the bottoms of scallions and begin slicing thin. This is a garnish for the end.
Peel your garlic and either mince in a small, high-powered blender, or finely mince with your knife.
1.) In a saute pan on medium/medium-high heat, add equal parts olive oil and butter. Once melted, add your seasoned fish. This will cook for about five to six minutes without moving the fish around. You will start to see the sides and the edges are showing a white-colored flesh. This will indicate when you should flip the fish over. Be very delicate when turning the fish to the other side.
2.) Once the fish has cooked about 90% of the way, remove the fish and set this on a plate. The residual heat will finish cooking the fish. Do not clean out your saute pan.
3.) Add your sliced fennel to the pan. Lightly brown until the tips of fennel start to show browning. This will take just a few minutes to do. Remove from the saute pan and onto a plate.
4.) In a medium-sized soup pot, add equal parts olive oil and butter on medium-high heat. Once fully melted and bubbling, add your fennel stems, carrots, and onions. Toss in the pot to saute. After a few minutes, you will see the onions start to lose their white color. This will take about four to five minutes.
5.) Add your minced garlic and mix well. Stir for about one minute.
6.) Add your Herbs de Provence to the pot. Stir for about one minute to mix this well.
7.) Add your wine to the pot. This will deglaze anything on the bottom of the pan. Mix the vegetables well.
8.) Add your thawed, drained spinach to the pot. Again, mix well.
9.) Add your vegetable (or fish) stock to the pot. Bring this up to temperature which should take just a couple of minutes.
10.) Add your tomato sauce to the pot. Bring this up to temperature which will take about three to five minutes. Mix well. 11.) Add your fresh dill and tomatoes to the pot. Mix this well so no clumps of herbs are present.
12.) Begin ladling the soup into bowls. Place some of the cooked cod and sauteed fennel to your bowl. Garnish with scallions, fennel fronds, and drizzle some olive oil on top.
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