Quick Weeknight Fish Stew with Olives by Alison Roman

“Are there any recipes you’re really not looking forward to making?” - at least 100 people 

“Yeah, there’s this fish stew recipe with olives.” - me 

(360 days later)

“Really, you’re gonna let a stew stand between you and accomplishing your goal? Suck it up.” - this project 
“........................................... Fine.” - me 

the makings of a good broth

If I sound like a broken record, I’m sorry. But I have to tell the truth! Once again, this stew was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. Will I make it again? Probably not. But at least I didn’t suffer while eating it. (If you’re new to the blog, please know that if you love seafood stew, you’ll probably love this — seafood stew just ain’t my thing.) 

What I liked most was the tomato-based broth. I chose to use a ripe, medium-sized tomato instead of a can of diced tomatoes (Alison gives us the option). Fresh tomato was definitely the way to go. It gave a subtler tomato taste and color to the stew than canned would have, which I found to be just enough to brighten things up. The broth also contains toasted shallot rings and garlic slices, reduced white wine, chili flakes, bay leaves, and water. Just reading that ingredient list tells you it’s got to be a solid broth base. 

The seafood part, now that’s where I falter. The recipe calls for cod (which we’ve established tastes too fishy), mussels (my first time buying my own mussels!), and shrimp (yes, more shrimp). Mussels are cooked first using the same method as you’d use with clams — nestling them in hot liquid and covering your pot with a lid to create steam. Within five or so minutes, those babies were opened. Cod and shrimp also need time to cook in the broth with the lid on, which took only another six minutes. 

The olives and herbs really brought everything together. I opted for crushed Castelvetrano olives over black olives for their obviously superior flavor. Finely chopped parsley and dill added an element of freshness and vibrant color that really helped with appetite appeal. I made a half-recipe and ate about a fourth of it. Jordan had a few bites too, but we got no where near to finishing it. 

As far as the recipe title goes, this recipe is relatively “quick” when it comes to stews, but it still takes a good bit of ingredient preparation and comes together in about 45 minutes. I guess it all depends on your definition of “quick.” 

Thank God that’s over with. 

220 recipes cooked, 5 to go.

Black Bass with Salty, Spicy Celery by Alison Roman

Besides all of Alison’s salmon recipes, her black bass recipe is Jordan’s favorite seafood dish from this project, by a long shot. Reasons being threefold: tenderness, flavor, and ease. 

Tenderness: Alison instructs us to cook the fish filets in a foil packet with lots of olive oil, which allows for plenty of fatty steam to cook the fish through without letting it dry out. I’m a big parchment/foil packet fan when it comes to making fish. So quick, easy, and practically foolproof.

Flavor: This recipe includes an X factor ingredient – lime pickle. An indian condiment made of pickled lime. I confess that I didn’t use it here. I searched, but could not find it. So I improvised, and used a combination of salt, lime juice, and harissa to resemble the flavor. And though I can’t officially confirm how similar the flavors are, I personally loved how it turned out! The spicy, saltiness of my spices paired well with the fishiness of the bass, while not drowning out the fish’s flavor altogether. I used this combination with the celery and scallion salad too, and *chef’s kiss* my pals. What a fresh, fun, kick of a dish! 

Ease: The entire recipe took about 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes in the oven. Half of the prep happened while the fish was in the oven. I also included a packet of frozen brown rice from TJ’s, mixed with a bit of harissa and sea salt to complete the dish. 

I will certainly make this one again. And then, probably, again.

174 recipes cooked, 51 to go.

Clams and Cod in Heavy Cream with Tiny Potatoes and Celery by Alison Roman

While we’re on the subject, I have to tell you a quick anecdotal story about cod. I’ve been in the earth-shattering play, Peter Pan, twice in my life. One time I played Tiger Lilly, and the other I played Peter himself. Playing Peter was a highlight of my childhood acting career. I mean, who doesn’t want to play a character that flies, sword fights, and sings the most solos? Towards the middle of the play, there’s a scene where Peter is hiding from Captain Hook and decides to play tricks on him. He starts shouting ominous things at Hook, who doesn’t know where the voice is coming from. Terrified, he starts asking Peter, or “the voice,” what kind of creature they are. A rock? A mineral? An animal? A… cod fish? If the person playing Hook likes comedy, they’ll put a lot of emphasis on the word “cod” and the audience will chuckle. It’s a human voice, duh! You think a cod fish could talk like that? Silly Hook. 

Never before have I purchased or cooked cod fish. This being my first time asking for a cod filet at the seafood counter, I had half a mind to answer the counter worker’s question, “how can I help you?” by saying, “A….coooddd fish?” Oh the things my better judgment keeps me from doing! Thankfully, I did not startle the gal at Mariano’s or the seafood counter person at Whole Foods. Mariano’s only carries clams on occasion, but WF sells them reliably. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this clam chowder-esque dish, and in fact, enjoyed it more than regular chowder. I appreciated that the broth stays separate from the vegetables and seafood. No mushy cod or soggy potatoes to be found. Instead, the potatoes are cooking in oil, along with the celery, before any liquid joins the pan, which gives them a crispy and browned exterior. The wine and cream are added next, then the clams. Once the clams open up, the cod joins the pot last. I covered the pot and let things simmer just until the cod was cooked through, about 5 minutes. Which means it barely had time to fall apart. Somehow, eating a fishy-tasting fish is much more delightful if I can see the bite of fish on my fork, instead of scooping it in mush form with my spoon. I don’t think I’m alone in this? 

The lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and sourdough bread for dipping completed this dish. I could honestly eat a full meal of just bread soaked in the broth. It had the perfect cream to acid ratio with a subtle heat kick at the end. The clams added a salty textural contrast that complemented the broth perfectly. Next time I could do without the cod. It added a fishiness that seemed to subtract, rather than add, enjoyment. However it did add substance. So pick your poison on that one. 

162 recipes cooked, 63 to go.

Halibut and Asparagus with Brown Butter Peas by Alison Roman

When people ask me why I like Alison’s recipes, my first reason is usually their boldness. “She never half-heartedly commits to a flavor - it’s just all there, in your face!” Interestingly enough, this halibut recipe may be the most mildly flavored dish I’ve cooked of Alison’s (and I’ve cooked 150 so far!). And yet I’d still make the claim that she always, I mean always, pushes flavor as far as it can go. 

Though this recipe is comparatively mild, I could still taste every ingredient in its fullness. The butter was very buttery, the olive oil and salt each enhanced the soft fishiness of the halibut and the springiness of the asparagus. The peas tasted very pea-like, emboldened by the butter, lemon juice, and black pepper. These descriptions might sound corny, but I don’t know how else to say that Alison maintains her commitment to bold flavor by embracing the mild flavors inherent to the ingredients involved in this dish. 

I baked the asparagus and halibut in olive oil, salt, and black pepper, for twenty minutes, until my meat thermometer read 130 and the asparagus appeared sufficiently crispy. The butter took only several minutes to brown. The peas - thawed from frozen - spent several more minutes sauteeing in the butter before being doused with lemon juice. The meal felt almost, dare I say, healthy? And as God said on the seventh day, “It was very good.” 

Note: Alison calls for chives and tarragon here. I sadly forgot to buy them. So instead, I added some fresh thyme to the buttered peas. It was also very good.

150 recipes cooked, 75 to go.

halibut-asparagus-brown-butter-peas-alison-roman-3.jpg