Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t think of mussels as things you buy in a store. Sure, I knew they were there, but for me, mussels were harvested by my dad from the raft floating in the water in front of my grandma’s waterfront home on Bainbridge Island. At low tide, the raft sat on the beach and the mussels attached to the tires beneath were (somewhat) easily detached, cleaned, and used in pastas and fish stews.
But when I wanted to make my own fish stew, I had two choices: either get on the ferry and head for the beach, or see what the local grocery store had to offer. As lovely as the former sounds, I didn’t have the time that particular week. So, Thomas and I headed for the QFC, where they had Penn Cove mussels sitting on ice. I remembered that I do have another association with mussels: the Penn Cove mussels my family ate during my childhood vacations to Whidbey Island were excellent. I asked for 24 mussels and picked up two cod fillets too.
This recipe, from Cooking Light, is described as a quick seafood stew, and it’s definitely simpler than many other seafood stew recipes I’ve seen. This one indulges seafood cravings without forcing you to buy out the entire fish section. The seafood is also completely interchangeable: go ahead and use clams instead of mussels, salmon instead of cod, or whatever appeals the most. The focus of the stew is mainly the seafood, but the diced red potatoes and leek make the stew more substantial, a whole meal rather than a light lunch or starter.
Of the two most common ways to make a fish stew, there’s the red sauce version, used in cioppino, and the classic white wine-garlic broth you might find mussels steamed in and served with French fries. This wine and garlic broth gets a little kick from cayenne pepper, which I’ve reduced here from the original recipe; add more if you want to increase the spice. Also, after you sauté the fish, remove the pan from the heat before you start cooking the broth in the same pan. Letting the browned bits on the pan darken too much will make your broth taste burned. Trust me, I know.
Should my dad decide to harvest mussels again, I’ll definitely offer up this recipe for using the shellfish from the raft. In the meantime, I’m happy to “harvest” the mussels from the grocery store, so I can keep making this amazing stew.
Cod and Mussel Stew
Adapted from Cooking Light
10 ounces red potatoes, diced (about 3 potatoes)
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¾ pound cod (about two fillets)
1 medium leek, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup clam juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dried thyme, to taste
24 mussels, debearded and scrubbed
- Place potatoes in a medium-sized pot; fill the pot with water until the potatoes are covered. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain the water.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the cod fillets and cook for 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a large plate and break it into smaller, bite-size pieces. Remove the pan from the heat but keep the stove on until you are ready to start the broth.
- Return the skillet you cooked the fish in to the stove. Add the leek and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine and bring to a boil. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan that come loose.
- Add water, chicken broth, clam juice, cayenne pepper, and thyme to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, cod, and mussels. Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until the mussels open up (discard any that don’t open; they’re duds).
The Food Beat 