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Staff Holiday Recipes

Coming from a single-parent household it was hard for my mom to afford giving us special meals or unique traditions during the holidays. One special holiday meal tradition that she did start in our family was always having some sort of seafood dish for Christmas Eve dinner. There have been some not so good dishes and some okay dishes served in our yearly tradition but my all time favorite, and the one I’m submitting to you now, is a Fish Stew recipe that we usually served in hollowed out loaves of black bread.

I hope others enjoy it just as much as we always do!

1 1⁄2 lbs Healthy Living Wild Caught cod, cut into chunks
2 cups cold water
2 TB Cabot unsalted butter
2 big leeks (white and light green parts only), well washed and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 cloves Crowing Rooster garlic, minced
1⁄2 cup Chateau Ducasse White Bordeaux white wine
1⁄4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup bulk pearl barley, soaked for at least 1 hour in warm water
1 medium turnip, diced
1 cup Kimball Brook Farms heavy cream (do not try to go light and use half-and-half)
1⁄2 tsp crumbled saffron threads
1 12-oz can Santani evaporated milk
1⁄2 cup Crown Prince crabmeat, (can also be imitation)
1⁄2 cup Natural Sea clam meat

Place 1⁄2 lb of the cod in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove the fish with a slotted spoon and set it aside for later. Keep the water, as this is your fish stock. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the leeks, carrots, and garlic over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and increase the heat, bringing it to a boil. Add the fish stock, thyme, salt, pepper, barley, and turnips; cook for about 20 minutes, or until the turnips are tender. Warm the cream in a small saucepan- it shouldn’t even simmer- then rub the saffron threads into it until the cream turns a nice golden color. Stir the cream and evaporated milk into the broth and turnip mixture. Add the remaining chunks of fish (both raw and cooked), crab, and clams. Cover and cook on medium low for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. Serve hot.