Quick Seafood Stew
FROM SUBSTACK
You can grab the seafood for this dish on your way home from the beach and have it on the table in half an hour if you have a well-stocked pantry. There’s nothing to chop to get it going (you can chop the parsley while it’s cooking), and the seafood poaches in under ten minutes. Grilled or toasted bread is the quickest accompaniment, but you can also serve it with pearl couscous, tubettini pasta, or fregola. Add more liquid as needed, so you end up with something halfway between a soup and a stew.
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 anchovies, chopped or 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
¾ cup dry white wine
2 cups crushed or finely chopped boxed or canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon capers
½ cup black oil-cured or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Red pepper flakes
16 large shrimp, peeled (about 1 pound)
1 pound tuna or swordfish steak, cut into 1½ inch chunks
1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (about ½ cup)
Grilled or toasted bread, for serving
Heat a wide, shallow saucepan or small Dutch oven over medium-low heat and warm the oil in it. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until starting to turn golden. Add the anchovies and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and cool slightly so you can pour the wine in without it spattering.
Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat until reduced by half. Add tomatoes, capers, olives, a pinch of salt (don’t add too much since the olives and capers are salty), a few grinds of pepper, and a big pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until very flavorful.
Add ¾ cup water and return to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the shrimp and cook, covered, stirring once or twice, until they’re turning pink, about 2 minutes. Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper and add it to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring gently once or twice, until fish is just opaque on the outside, 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook it. Stir in most of the parsley, saving some to sprinkle on top.
Divide among 4 warmed bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, and serve more red pepper flakes on the side.
