Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds monkfish or catfish
3 pounds littleneck clams or mussels, well washed
1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp or scallops, cut into bite size pieces if neccesary
1 to 1 1/2 pounds cod or other delicate white-fleshed fish, cut into 6 large chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
2 navel or other oranges
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
Big pinch of saffron (optional)
1 dried chile, or a pinch of cayenne, to taste
2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Put the olive oil in a casserole or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasioally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to strip the zest from the oranges. Add the zest, fennel, saffron (if using), and chile and cook about a minute. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat to medium high. When the mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes saucelike, 10 to 15 minutes. (You can prepare the dish several hours in advance up to this point; cover and set aside until you’re ready to eat.)
Add the monkfish and raise the heat to medium-high. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just about tender, 10 minutes or so. Add the clams, raise the heat to high, and stir; when the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the clams begin to open. 5 to 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and white fish, stir, and cover; cook, stirring gently once or twice, until the white fish is just about done (a thin bladed knife will pierce it with little resistance), about 5 minutes. (If the mixture is very thick- there should be some broth- add a cup or so of hot water.) Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the parsley and serve with some crusty bread. Serves 8.
Recipe obtained from The Minimalist Entertains by Mark Bittman.
