Greek Fisherman’s Stew

By Florence Fabricant

Published July 14, 2015

  • Sabra Krock for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(2,549)
Comments
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It's summer, and no matter what you choose to drink, your plate should be bright with ripe beefsteak tomatoes and basil. If those treasures of the season complement a piece of fish, so much the better. Consider a kakavia, something Greek fishermen may assemble right on their boats, adding ingredients in fairly quick order as they cook in a round-bottomed pot also called a kakavia. It's a dish that welcomes wines that are clean-cut but with lip-smacking acidity balanced by sunny suggestions of melon and tropical fruit, like Austrian rieslings.

Featured in: Austrian Rieslings Set a High, Dry Standard

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced thin

  • 1 small head fennel, diced

  • ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes, or to taste

  • 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, cored and chopped, with their juices

  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • ½ pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

  • Ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 pounds wild striped bass fillets, skinned, cut in 12 pieces

  • 6 basil leaves, torn

  • 1 cup mayonnaise seasoned with 1 ½ teaspoons sriracha or other hot sauce (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

16 grams carbs; 121 milligrams cholesterol; 304 calories; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1142 milligrams sodium; 29 grams protein; 5 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Warm oil in a 4-quart saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown. Add fennel and cook a few minutes, until softened. Stir in chile flakes. Add tomatoes and salt, cover and cook on medium about 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in wine and 2 ½ cups water, bring to a simmer, add potatoes and cook another 6 minutes or so, until potatoes are tender. Check seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice.

  3. Step 3

    Season fish pieces with salt and pepper, place them in the stew and simmer on low, covered, until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, warm 6 generous soup plates.

  4. Step 4

    When fish is done, remove it to the warm soup plates. Remove pot from heat, stir in basil, just to wilt it, and divide soup among the 6 plates. Serve spiced mayonnaise alongside if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,549 user ratings
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Comments

Elinor

Fabulous--my favorite fish dish now. Three suggestions: potatoes need much more cooking time. Add at an earlier step. Next time I'm slicing the fennel rather than chopping it to distinguish it from the chopped onion and to announce itself. I added saffron, which was a great earlier suggestion. Oh, and cod worked great.

Kevin Osinski

Excellent. Used black cod as striped bass was unavailable. Paired beautifully with an Austrian Riesling, as suggested. Simmered the potatoes for more like 30 minutes rather than 6 to get them to the right texture before adding the fish. Next time I might double the potatoes -- they seemed disproportionately scarce.

Yoko

This was really delicious! A perfect dish for a relaxed summer dinner since it doesn't require turning on the oven. Added bonus is that the broth can be prepared in advance and the fish added just a few minutes in advance. Great to prepare for dinner guests since it allows you to spend more time with them, and less in the kitchen!
I think the recipe would work well with any firm white-fleshed fish.

Fran

Have made this numerous times, making substitutions when necessary. When there’s no fennel, I sauté diced celery with the onion, and add 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, ground, with the red pepper. Works well.

Deborah

Excellent! I used cod and added a lot more basil, garlic and dried red pepper. I served it with freshly baked corn bread. Next time, I may reduce the amount of fish and add other seafood like shrimp, squid and clams.

Leilah

This is hands down the best NYT recipe I have ever made. It is absolutely delicious. I have made it at least 10 times, with thawed bass fillets, as the recipe directs. My husband loves it. Thank you Florence

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