For some reason lately I have been obsessed with seafood. I think it is because there is this amazing store on the first floor of the building of my internship (Chelsea Market) called “The Lobster Place” This store is phenomenal! Not only is it a gigantic fish market that offers every seafood imaginable, but the store also sells prepared foods. For example, you can walk passed rows of brightly colored tuna steaks and twenty pound salmons to go right up to chefs preparing fresh sushi from that day’s catch. In the back of the store there lies a mountain of freshly steamed lobsters of which you can take your pick to have disembodied in front of you and served with a large bowl of drawn butter. Next to that counter is a row of every type of fish chowder you can imagine and a little window from which you can order a range of “rolls” from tarragon shrimp rolls to lemony lobster rolls and more. I love the idea that a market combined itself with a ready to go style restaurant. I know that when I go there I am getting the freshest options available.

Anyway, I blame The lobster Place for my incessant seafood cravings. Last weekend two of my roommates were busy and I was left for a night in the apartment with my other roommate Natasha. We decided to have a wonderful candlelit evening complete with white wine and a seafood stew. I was absolutely shocked at how well the meal turned out. I had never attempted anything of the sort before and was worried the meal would turn out very fishy, but it didn’t. The dish actually did end up different than I had originally envisioned, however it was even better so I didn’t mind. I was aiming to make a sort of steamed mussel dish in garlic, butter and wine, but instead made a brothy and diverse fish stew. I simmered many types of seafood, an entire bottle of wine, chicken stock, garlic and fresh herbs to create a heavenly flavor experience. There was only one issue, I panicked halfway through the cooking process when I tasted the broth and found it to be extremely bitter, almost acidic. I tried to remedy the issue by adding a dollop of crème fraiche, which helped significantly. However, as it turned out, the broth had only tasted of acid because the alcohol from the wine hadn’t fully cooked out yet, so by the time the dish was finished I was left with a light and delicate, multi-layered broth with an added depth from the touch of cream. Natasha loved it so much that she requested I make it for her birthday dinner in the spring. Along with the stew we made a side of roasted vegetables. We ate the leftovers the next night and it was equally as delicious. I was heartbroken when we reached the bottom of the pot.

Ingredients:

Seafood Stew

• One Head Of Garlic
• Shallots
• One Tomato
• Dry White Wine
• Chicken Stock
• Butter
• Squid
• Mussels
• Shrimp
• Cod
• Tarragon
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Salt And Pepper

Roasted Vegetables

• Olive Oil
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Onion
• Zucchini
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salt And Pepper