Fish stew is a dish made with fish as the main ingredient, cooked with vegetables and a sauce made from the liquids of the ingredients. Different regions have their own styles, such as bouillabaisse from Marseille and clam chowder from New England. Fresh fish and vegetables are recommended, and the fish should be added towards the end of cooking to prevent disintegration.
Fish stew is a combination of several foods, of which fish is a main ingredient, that are cooked together. A sauce or sauce is usually made by mixing the liquids from the various ingredients; this sauce can be thickened with the use of flour, cream, or other thickening agents, such as cornstarch or tomato sauce. The fish stew can be prepared with finned fish or shellfish.
Vegetarian stews and meat-based stews, such as pork or beef, are generally allowed to simmer for a long time over low heat, allowing the flavors to meld. The meat of finned fish and some shellfish, such as oysters, is very delicate, however, and won’t withstand long periods of cooking, especially in liquid. For this reason, fish should only be added to fish stew towards the end of cooking; furthermore, once the fish is in the stew, rapid boiling is generally avoided to prevent disintegration.
Different regions have their own styles of fish stew, from New England cream soups to coconut milk-based Southeast Asian fish stews. Various vegetables – generally whatever the season – are usually cut into bite-sized pieces and simmered in liquid, which can be fish stock, clam juice, chicken broth, or whatever the recipe or cook’s taste may call for. . Spices added to stews can be strong because fish absorb their flavors well, and many cooks complement the liquid with wine.
Perhaps the most famous seafood stew is bouillabaisse, which is traditionally said to come from the French port city of Marseille and relies on a variety of fresh Mediterranean fish and shellfish and Provençal spices, as well as fennel, orange peel and saffron , for its unique flavor. Bouillabaisse differs from most other fish stews in that it requires the fish ingredients to be introduced into a rapidly boiling broth and simmered continuously for 15 to 20 minutes. Another popular fish stew is clam chowder, which combines shelled clams, potatoes, and onions. New England clam chowder uses cream and clam juice as the primary liquid, while Manhattan clam chowder is tomato based.
To make fish stew, the cook should select the freshest white-fleshed fish, such as halibut, hake, pollock, cod, snapper, perch, or Pompano; shellfish should also be as fresh as possible. Interesting variations can be developed from stronger tasting fish such as bluefish and mackerel. Canned vegetables should be avoided; if fresh vegetables are not available, the cook should use frozen. As with any recipe, when making fish stew, cooks need to prepare and measure out all the ingredients before starting.
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