Colombian Seafood Stew

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 whole large yellow onion
• 1 whole red bell pepper
• 5 cloves garlic cloves
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, divided
• 14 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
• 13.5 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 cups fish or seafood stock
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound firm white fish fillets (sea bass or halibut), cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 pound large shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
• 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 1 whole fresh lime

Instructions

1. 1

   Dice one large yellow onion into 1/2-inch pieces — keep them uniform so they cook evenly. Dice one red bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces, removing the seeds and white pith first. Peel and mince 5 garlic cloves finely. Roughly chop 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, keeping about 2 tablespoons aside for garnish.

2. 2

   Check your mussels by tapping any that are open — if they close, they're alive and good to use. Discard any that won't close. With the tip of a small knife, pull the dark beard (fibrous thread) from the side of each mussel and rinse under cold running water.

3. 3

   Pat the white fish chunks and shrimp completely dry with paper towels — removing surface moisture helps them cook without releasing excess water into the broth.

4. 4

   Set a large heavy-bottomed pot or cazuela (12-inch, if you have one) over medium-high heat. Pour in 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and let it shimmer for about 30 seconds. Add the diced onion and bell pepper — you should hear an immediate sizzle. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and the edges of the bell pepper soften, about 5-6 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the 5 minced garlic cloves and stir constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant — you should smell the garlic perfume the oil. Do not let it brown, or it will turn bitter.

6. 6

   Pour in one 14-ounce can of crushed tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits — these carry deep flavor. Stir in 2 cups of fish or seafood stock and one 13.5-ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, and 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

7. 7

   Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat — you should see lazy bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

8. 8

   Carefully add the 1 pound of white fish chunks to the simmering broth, stirring gently to submerge them. Let them cook undisturbed for 4 minutes until they just begin to turn opaque.

9. 9

   Add the 1 pound of shrimp and all the cleaned mussels at the same time, stirring gently so everything is nestled into the broth. The shrimp should begin to curl and turn pink, and the mussels will start to open — this usually takes 4-5 minutes.

10. 10

    Watch carefully as the mussels open. Once they've begun opening, remove the pot from the heat and discard any mussels that remain tightly closed — they are not safe to eat. The residual heat will continue cooking everything gently.

11. 11

    Squeeze the juice from 1 fresh lime into the cazuela and stir gently. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt and pepper if needed — the coconut milk should be rounding out the acidity.

12. 12

    Ladle the stew into wide shallow bowls, making sure each serving gets fish, shrimp, and mussels in a generous portion of broth. Garnish each bowl with the reserved 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with crusty bread for soaking up the rich broth.

Tools you’ll need

• large heavy-bottomed pot or 12-inch cazuela
• wooden spoon
• chef's knife
• cutting board
• paper towels
• small paring knife
• wide shallow bowls
• ladle

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