Sicilian Salt Cod Stew Recipes

SICILIAN-STYLE FISH STEW RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in 5-quart Dutch oven (like this one) over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and a little salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each). Cook, stirring regularly, until softened (about 4 minutes). Add thyme, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook briefly until fragrant (about 30 more seconds).
• Now, stir in the white wine and reserved tomato juice from can. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by about 1/2. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, raisins, and capers. Cook for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until flavors combine.
• Pat the fish dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Insert the fish pieces into the cooking liquid, and give everything a gentle stir so that the fish pieces are nicely covered in the cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and cover. Let sit off heat for another 4-5 minutes so that the fish will finish cooking. Fish should be flaky when gently pulled apart with a paring knife. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley.
• Ladle the hot fish stew into serving bowls, top each with a few toasted pine nuts, if you like. Serve with your favorite crusty bread! Enjoy!

SIMPLE SICILIAN BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Preheat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and oven to 300 degrees F with racks in lower third and upper third of oven.
• Pat meat dry and season with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to the pan, 1 turn of the pan, melt about a tablespoon of butter into oil and when it foams, add about a third of the meat. Brown evenly on all sides and remove, then repeat with more oil and butter as needed and removing meat to platter or tray as you work. Add remaining oil and butter and when butter foams add the onions, fennel and garlic, bay, citrus and rosemary. Partially cover and soften about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, then stir and add wine. Reduce 2 to 3 minutes, then add beef, stock, semi-dried or sundried tomatoes, olives and chile flakes or paste. Cover and place in oven for about 2 hours until very tender.
• Arrange the Roma tomatoes on a small baking sheet, dress with EVOO, thyme, salt and pepper and slow roast them along with the meat, for 2 hours.
• Serve beef on a platter topped with tomatoes or in shallow bowls atop Polenta or potatoes.
• Heat water and milk in a saucepan to a low boil, then whisk in cornmeal and season with salt and pepper. Cook 35 to 40 minutes, whisking occasionally, until thickened and creamy to taste. Stir in butter to serve.

SALT COD, POTATO AND CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Rinse salt cod, then place in a bowl of cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Change water every 2 hours if possible. (If desired, fully soaked cod may be refrigerated, drained and wrapped in plastic for up to 2 days.) Also put chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Leave to soak 8 hours or overnight.
• The next day, drain cod, chop it into 1-inch chunks, put it in a bowl and set aside. Put chickpeas and soaking water in a large pot over high heat. Add clove-stuck onion and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Skim foam, turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until tender. Halfway through cooking, add 2 teaspoons salt. Turn off heat and leave chickpeas in their broth until ready to use. (Chickpeas may be cooked several hours ahead or even a day in advance if desired.)
• Make the stew: In a heavy soup pot, warm olive oil over high heat. Add diced onion and let sizzle, then reduce heat and cook until softened, stirring, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, saffron, pimentón and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Add wine and bring to a brisk simmer. Drain chickpeas, reserving 6 cups of the broth. Add the broth and potatoes to the pot, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Ladle about 2 cups of the stew's liquid over the salt cod pieces and let steep for 10 minutes (the fish will cook while steeping), then pour this mixture into the pot. Add the clams and reserved chickpeas to the pot and simmer, covered, until clams open, 5 to 7 minutes. To serve, stir in the cilantro and ladle the stew into big bowls.

SICILIAN SALT COD STEW

Steps:

• Rinse salt cod in a sieve under cold running water for 3 minutes. Place the cod in a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish with a tight-fitting lid. Add 4 cups water. Cover with lid and cook in a 650- to 700-watt oven at 100 for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and rinse the dish in a sieve under cold running water for 3 minutes. Return the fish to the souffle dish and repeat the cooking and rinsing two more times, for a total of three times.
• Prick each potato several times with the point of a knife. Put a double sheet of paper toweling suitable for microwave use on the bottom of the oven. Place potatoes on paper at opposite ends. Cook at 100 percent power in a 650- to 700-watt microwave oven for 11 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool and peel as remaining cooking is done.
• Combine oil and garlic in a 2 1/2-quart souffle dish. Cook, uncovered, at 100 percent power for 2 minutes.
• Remove from oven and stir in tomatoes, olives, white wine, bay leaf, thyme, sugar and pepper. Place pieces of reserved fish in the mixture so that they are covered by the sauce. Cover with lid and cook at 100 percent power for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Add raisins and pine nuts so that they are just under the surface but do not stir them in. Re-cover with lid and cook at 100 percent power for 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Gently stir together. Slice potatoes across, 1/4-inch thick. Divide potatoes among four large wide bowls. Spoon fish stew over potatoes and serve.

SICILIAN FISHERMAN'S STEW

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat, add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and tomatoes. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup water and the wine.
• Cook, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add the fish, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

SICILIAN SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot, over high heat, saute onion in the olive oil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add in the celery and red and green bell peppers; stir and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add in the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, and marjoram; stir to mix.
• Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in the clam juice, tomatoes, and wine.
• Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add the scallops and shrimp; cook and stir for about 4 minutes or until the scallops are no longer opaque and the shrimp are pink.
• Add in the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste; stir to combine.
• Ladle stew into individual serving bowls.
• Sprinkle capers and chopped black olives on top, if desired.

SICILIAN SALT COD AND ORANGE SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the salt cod.
• Soak the fish for at least 24 hours or preferably 48 hours, changing the water three to four times each day.
• When the fish has softened and lost its intense saltiness, rinse and drain it.
• Dry the fish as best you can with paper towels.
• Pull the fish into shreds with your hands.
• Prepare the salad.
• Cut off each end of each of the oranges (and the lemon if you are using one).
• Stand each orange on end and using a jig-saw motion slice away the skin and white pith.
• Slice the flesh of the fruit into chunks.
• Combine the chunks of fruit in a bowl with the olives, onion, chili, oil, vinegar, salt cod and oregano.
• Toss to mix well.
• Cover with plastic wrap and set aside, at room temperature, for at least an hour.
• To serve, arrange greens (if you're using them) on a platter and mound the salad on top.