Originally I planned to make this blog about gathering and preparing food from the wild, but discovered I have too many other cooking ideas that I’d like to share. I plan to intersperse some of my favorite soups, stews and chilis in the next few blogs because they’re so appropriate for this cold weather. Also some of them are based on wild meats. Today’s stew can incorporates wild seafood or store bought.
Joe’s Fish Market in town is where we first bought this Yugoslavian seafood stew which was very hot and spicy. We loved it, but wanted to make it ourselves. I ask and it always seemed like the recipe was so simple, but I couldn’t quite achieve the flavor and deep mahogany color of the soup base like the one we bought. Then one day about a year ago the recipe appeared in the local paper — the original recipe was to make eight gallons of the base and someone cut it down to one gallon. So upon seeing the list of ingredients I embarked on making a gallon of it and with a little tweaking I was able to make a respectable version of it.
One of the problems I discovered when looking for a recipe was that the soup originated on the Dalmatian Coast along the Adriatic Sea which is mostly in the country of Croatia. Since a lot of people might not find Dalmatian Seafood Stew as appetizing as Yugoslavian Seafood Stew the market altered the name. They were afraid people might confuse Dalmatian, which is the coast with Dalmation which is a breed of dog and not even want to try it. I may have had better luck finding a recipe if I had known that earlier. However, the recipe in the paper provided the ingredients list so I was able to learn what my stew had been missing.
The recipe for one gallon given in the newspaper is as follows:
Yugoslavian Fish Stew
3 T olive oil
1 medum onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh parsley or 1 1/2 t dried parsley
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t white pepper
3/4 t cayenne pepper*
1 cup chicken broth, white wine or beer
30 oz. diced canned tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 T Tabasco sauce* or more
1 1/4 T Red Hot Sauce*
1 1/2 t granulated garlic
1/2 pint of water (for the eight gallon recipe — the market adds 1 quart of water to 6 quarts of base and then cooks it down to the desired consistency before removing from heat and adding seafood).
* Adjust amounts of cayenne, tabasco and red hot sauce to your desired hotness level. It’s easier to start with less and add more until you get the hotness you like.
Selection of seafood: shrimp, acallops, firm fish such as salmon, talapia, calamari, clams, mussels, etc. Cut the fish into bite size pieces so that all the seafood is approximately the same size and then all will cook in about the same amount of time.
HEAT olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
SWEAT onions and cook them for about 5 minutes. (Note: to sweat the onions leave the lid on to trap steam so that volatile oils remain in the pan). The onions shouldn’t brown so lower heat if they should start to brown, so they sweat and retain all their flavors.
ADD celery and garlic and saute 2 minutes.
ADD the parsley, oregano, basil ( Note: when adding dried herbs crush them between your fingers to release more flavor before adding them to pot), black pepper, white pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook about 5 minutes longer to concentrate the flavors.
ADD chicken broth (wine/beer whichever you choose) and simmer another 15 – 20 minutes to reduce liquid.
ADD tomatoes and tomato sauce (Note: this part I vary since I use home canned tomatoes, tomato juice and paste; but I try to use approximately the same amount). Cook another 15 -20 minutes. ADD Worcester shire, Tabasco and Red Hot sauces and blend in well.
ADD sugar and granulated garlic and cook stirring about 5 minutes longer.
(Note: at this point the base is done and ready to be cooled and frozen if desired).
If making stew continue as follows. ADD water and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency which is almost the thickness of tomato sauce.
TASTE at this point and adjust to attain the spiciness and hotness. you prefer.
REMOVE from heat at this point and stir in seafood. The trick to cooking the seafood just the right amount is to let the hot soup base cook it. Using this method helps prevent overcooking of the seafood which makes it tough. Stir the seafood around in the hot base for about 5 minutes and when the everything looks done it is ready to serve. .This stew goes will with crusty French bread and a side salad of your choice.
If this makes too much, part of the base may be frozen in a suitable amount and when thawed the appropriate amount of water should be added before heating it up to make the stew.
