Spring Seafood Stew with Peas, New Potatoes, and Tarragon by Alison Roman

It’s snowing furiously outside, sheets of snow flying sideways past the buildings of Chicago. It’s New Year’s Day, 2022. It’s most certainly not Spring. And I would far prefer to be watching the Harry Potter Reunion on HBO instead of writing an essay about seafood stew, but so it goes. 

[Okay, confession. I wrote the above sentences, and then decided to close my laptop and watch part of the HP Reunion. It was a great decision. It’s now January 2.]

I was most certainly not looking forward to making this stew. To eat one kind of seafood requires some self-convincing. To eat three kinds of seafood in one dish is almost impossible for me. This recipe calls for clams (mmm), cod (meh), and smoked trout (huh). I called an “audible” (a sports term I inherited through marriage, FYI) and skipped the smoked trout. While the cod turned out alright, it was a little fishy for my taste. Ultimately, I would have been most happy with this stew if it were just the veggies and the clams. But that’s just me! 

The stew comes together in a multi-step process. First, sauteeing the vegetables - celery, shallot, potato - until soft. The recipe calls for leeks, but I somehow missed it when creating my shopping list, so I made do with what I had on hand. Then white wine and bay leaves join and simmer until partially reduced. I poured seafood stock and water into the dutch oven and brought everything to a simmer, letting the potatoes start to fall apart, about 35 minutes. I will just note here that this was my first time purchasing seafood stock, and beforehand, I was nervous. I imagined a liquid that smelled like a fish tank. Well, I was wrong. I took one whiff of the open stock carton and hardly smelled a thing. Which gave me more confidence in what I was about to consume. 

I plopped my scrubbed clams into the simmering stew, along with a cup of frozen peas. Then placed the lid on and waited for the clams to open - about 12 minutes. The final step requires laying the pieces of cod into the broth while trying not to destroy their delicate flesh. I mostly succeeded. The pot’s lid returns once more so the cod can cook through. 

To serve, I ladled the stew into each bowl, followed by a dollop of crème fraiche and a mixture of parsley, tarragon, and lemon zest. I also warmed some slices of homemade sourdough bread for dipping. Just like Alison’s Clams with Cod and Cream (a v similar recipe, by the way) I would gladly count sourdough dipped in the broth as my dinner. 

A final word about “stew” vs. “chowder.” Alison’s recipe notes say that she waffled between whether to call this recipe a stew or a chowder, but ultimately decided there’s no difference before choosing “stew.” Jordan, Margaret, and I kindly, but firmly, disagree. In the words of Margaret: “I associate chowders with corn and seafood. To me, a chowder has to be creamy, usually through the addition of dairy, but sometimes can happen through other means (like maybe pureeing some portion of the chowder?). I’ve never heard of a beef chowder, for example.” If you have further thoughts on this stew v. chowder debate, feel free to comment below. 

199 recipes cooked, 26 to go.

Whole Roasted Snapper with Harissa and Sun Gold Tomatoes by Alison Roman

Rule #1: Don’t forget to ask the seafood counter person to gut and scale your fish for you. 

Rule #2: If you forget to ask, don’t be afraid to take the fish back to the store and ask the seafood counter person to gut and scale your fish for you. 

Rule #3: Gutting a fish is really gross. 

You’ve probably surmised my fish journey by this point. Yes, I assumed the seafood counter person had gutted and scaled my fish. They only scaled it. Turns out seafood counter people agree that gutting a fish is gross and they won’t do it without being asked. Can I blame them? No. But learn from my mistakes. And yes, you can bring your fish back to the store and they’ll gut it if you ask. 

Before Jordan, my dear husband, started his new job last week, he had time on his hands. As I was commuting home from my own new job, I thought to put his free time to good use. Why not have him drive a fish to Whole Foods to be gutted, and have him make Alison’s whole roasted snapper recipe for me? So that’s exactly what he did. 

He tells me the whole preparation and cooking process was easy. “Are all of Alison’s recipes this simple?” All he had to do was combine garlic and harissa with some olive oil, and use that mixture to coat the fish and cherry tomatoes. He stuck them all in the oven, and voila! Meal ready. We served the fish with salad and brown rice. 

We both decided that snapper isn’t our favorite fish. The flavor is too… fishy. The texture, a little too game-y. We far prefer branzino or salmon. Jordan found this especially disappointing because he wants to be able to say “I love eating snapper.” “That’s a cool thing to say, isn’t it?” We’ll have to score our cool points elsewhere. 

139 recipes cooked, 86 to go.

check out those jammy tomatoes

Grilled Squid with Spicy, Garlicky White Beans and Vinegared Tomatoes by Alison Roman

I had a dream. That I’d cook all ten of Alison’s recipes intending for grilling with an actual grill. I got so close -- I made it to eight out of ten. Until recently, we lived a short drive away from my in-law’s who graciously let me use their grill for these recipes. I fed them great food, so why wouldn’t they? Then, three weeks ago now, we moved to Chicago. A city I love with all my heart, though it lacks many of the people I love in it. And once again, I’ve found myself grill-less. The last two grilling recipes -- this squid and the shrimp I posted over the weekend -- had to be cooked in a skillet on my stove, which, though a fine substitute, did not deliver the same flavor or texture that a grill could accomplish. If you make either of these recipes, do yourself a favor and find a grill. Even if that means a community grill at your local park. But bring a grill pan. Shrimp and squid will most definitely fall through the cracks! 

The flavors in this dish are right up my alley -- vinegary, a tinge of spicy heat, and the right balance of acid and creaminess between the tomatoes and beans. I got home from my commute around 6:10pm, and we were ready to eat by 6:40pm! This is a quick, satisfying, don’t-need-another-side-dish, kind of meal that’s perfect for a summer night after work. 

One of the very first recipes I cooked for this blog was Alison’s Spicy Garlicky White Beans. That was eight months ago now, and I had forgotten how simple they are! You can read all about them in the link above. I started the beans first before moving onto the squid. 

Want to know about my prep process for squid? Read about it here. Essentially, if you’re going to use a skillet instead of a grill, the tubes should be cut into half inch pieces, and the tentacles cut in half lengthwise prior to cooking. If you use a grill, Alison recommends cutting them after cooking, which makes sense. Squid shrinks quite fast, and it could prove challenging to keep them from falling into the grates.  

In her instructions for both grilling and sauteing, she tells us to look for the squid to turn a golden brown color. I’m not sure what she means. A very pale golden tint, maybe. But golden brown? Not only do I not see my shrimp turn that color, but the picture in her book doesn’t show squid that color either! So if you too don’t see that color appear, don’t be disheartened. Give it the six to eight minutes she instructs, and then move on. 

While sauteing the shrimp in batches till “golden brown,” I sliced the tomatoes. I couldn’t find heirloom tomatoes at my TJ’s, so I used organic tomatoes on the vine instead. They were delicious. (Do your best to find tomatoes that won’t be mealy or watery. That will honestly ruin the dish.) Then I covered them in red wine vinegar, and topped them with the beans and squid.

Like I said, Jordan and I ate this as our only dish for dinner, and nearly finished the whole plate. The tomatoes paired perfectly with the beans (which pack quite the heat!), and the salty squid added the right balance of protein and chewiness. 

137 recipes cooked, 88 to go.

Grilled Shrimp with Crushed Fresh Tomatoes and Lots of Lime by Alison Roman

Shrimp just doesn’t do it for me. That’s what I decided after making this recipe. Don’t get me wrong - the flavors were awesome, and the whole thing was very simple to make. If you like shrimp, you’ll love this dish. But no matter the flavors, shrimp’s chewy texture and less than appealing shape will always be roadblocks for me. I just had to put that out there. 

new Chicago kitchen!

But let’s move on to the recipe itself. Because again, shrimp lovers should definitely make this one. 

It starts with the crushing of a large tomato in your hands. Enjoy it -- this may be the only truly playful moment of your day. Let your hands squeeze every last bit of tomato pulp until no large chunks are left. Then mix in four grated garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. 

Next, shrimp in their shells (my first time buying shelled shrimp!) spend time in a large skillet. Only a few minutes, though. Shrimp cooks quickly! The recipe gives options for a grill and a skillet, but I am sadly grill-less once more. Piping hot and opaque, the cooked shrimp get tossed with crushed tomatoes, and doused with lime juice. And don’t forget, 2 tablespoons of butter get added, too. The steam from the shrimp melt the butter, adding a necessary richness to offset the thinness of the tomato juices. 

I served the shrimp over rice with roasted carrots. It was a lovely meal, but with Jordan and I not loving shrimp, we didn’t finish it, and sadly, chose not to save the leftovers. I hate few things more than wasting food. And I also know myself. I know that that leftover shrimp will never get eaten. So we let it go right away. 

Ultimately, butter, tomato, garlic, and lime juice are good friends. Let them dress your shrimp, your squid, your fish, your tortilla chips. Trust in their friendship, no matter what you pair them with. 

136 recipes cooked, 94 to go.

Sungold Pasta with Lemony Shellfish, Garlic, and Pistachios by Alison Roman

Since starting this project, I tend to think about food in terms “Before Alison” or “After Alison.” Before Alison, seafood pasta wasn’t on my radar at all. After Alison, I crave it all the time. I look for it on restaurant menus. I approached this recipe with great anticipation. And it mostly lived up to my expectations. 

This recipe requires a lot of multitasking, so the more you can prepare ahead of time, the less stressful the cooking process will be. I suggest slicing the garlic and fennel, and scrubbing and soaking the clams ahead of time. If you don’t already have toasted pistachios on hand, toast those first, too. The last thing you’ll want to do is wait for them to toast while your pasta is getting cold. 

In a large skillet, I first sauteed the fennel bulb and garlic, letting them become tender. Then came the spices, toasted briefly, and a pound of tomatoes. No Sungold’s at the grocery store, but I did find Sungold look-alikes which did the job well. (Yes, even vegetables have doppelgangers!) The tomatoes needed time to heat through and break down into a jammy sauce. At around the eight-minute mark, I started gently breaking them down with the back of my wooden spoon. Next, I added white wine and let it simmer and reduce. That’s four different steps, and we’re only halfway through the recipe! 

The clams need to steam in the sauce for a few minutes until they’re only slightly opened before the shrimp can join. The clams continue to open while their shrimpy partners cook and turn opaque. I’m always surprised at how little effort this seafood takes to cook! 

Instead of adding the pasta to the skillet (I used TJ’s GF brown rice spaghetti), Alison recommends coating the noodles with sauce in a giant serving bowl instead. Heed her advice! I chose to dump the pasta into my saucy skillet, only to quickly realize that there was absolutely no room to toss everything together. I quickly poured the meal into a wide serving bowl and proceeded to mix it from there. The final step involves a good sprinkling of toasted, chopped pistachios for a nutty finish. 

I really enjoyed this pasta. Jordan, not as much. He told me afterward that he could take or leave the seafood, and would enjoy the pasta with just the fennel and tomato sauce. I personally liked the added protein, but I see what he means. The seafood didn’t feel instrumental to the dish. More of an afterthought. If push came to shove, I think I’d prefer Alison’s other seafood pasta from Dining In, Clam Pasta with Chorizo and Walnuts. And that’s surprising, given my affinity for tomatoes. 

131 recipes cooked, 94 to go.