Seafood stew

A fresh seafood stew is a tasty dish at any time of the day and when made with the seafood of Galway bay the stew becomes very special indeed. Seafood stew

On a hot summers day what could be better than a fresh seafood stew? Simmered gently in a white wine sauce, a few mushroom and leeks maybe, just for a bit of extra flavour. What’s great about a stew of fish is that just about any fish be it fresh water or from the sea lends its self to this tasty dish. The only important rule to follow is that the fish is fresh. And there are so many types of stew to experiment with, broths, cream stews, tomato based as are common in the Mediterranean countries. The fun with stew is that there is so much scope to experiment. It is important to cook the fish stew slowly as to not allow the pieces of fish to break up. A slow consistent and gentle heat is the secret; also don’t stir the stew much, in particular when the fish is cooked as again this will break up the individual pieces of fish.

For a stew that will feed 4 allow 150 grams of raw fish per person chopped into chunks and bones removed.

600 gram mixed fish cut into one inch chunks if using shellfish such as prawns remove the intestine and keep whole

400 ml fish stock
50 ml white wine
20 gram shallots diced fine
50 gram butter
50 gram plain flour
50 ml cream
100 gram button mushrooms cleaned
50 grams leeks chopped fine
20 grams parsley chopped fine

Carrots, courgettes, fennel, celery or any other summer vegetable that takes your fancy can be added at the same time as the mushrooms
Method
1. Place the butter into a thick based saucepan and heat gently, then add the shallots and allow soften.
2. Add the flour and mix with the butter to form a roux, add the stock whisking lightly to incorporate with the roux.
3. Allow cook until the sauce begins to thicken then add the wine and cream.
4. Add the mushrooms and leeks and allow cook lightly.
5. Add the fish and ensure it is well coated with the sauce. Simmer gently until cooked.
6. Finish with chopped parsley and adjust the seasoning; serve with freshly boiled potato.