Lee’s Mediterranean Style Fish Stew Recipe

Here’s something I made a few nights ago by combining some things I saw in two different recipes, and adding some stuff by the seat of my pants that seemed appropriate. It came out tasting really good — and it got compliments from the wife (she asked me to write down the recipe so we can repeat it.)

Even though it has a lot of ingredients, it uses the lazy man’s approach to cooking — which is that everything pretty much comes out of a can, a bag, or a jar, so it’s not that hard to put together.

Anyway — in case you want to try it at home, here’s the recipe:

LEE’S MEDITERRANEAN STYLE FISH STEW RECIPE

1 cup frozen chopped seasoning mix (onion, celery, bell pepper) — this comes in a bag in the frozen vegetable section at Publix
some olive oil — enough to cover the bottom of your stew pot
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I use the stuff from a jar)
1 box (32 oz?) of low-sodium chicken stock
2 1/2 cups of Hot and Spicy V8 juice
1 small can of tomato paste
2 cans of diced tomatoes, unsalted — DO NOT DRAIN
1 can of regular cut green beans, drained and rinsed in a collander/strainer
1 can of sliced carrots, drained and rinsed in a collander/strainer
12 oz of boneless, skinless Halibut, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
12 oz of boneless, skinless Haddock, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
(You can find the fish in the frozen food section at your grocery store)
1 can of lump crab meat – mostly drained
3 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of hot sauce – more if you like it spicy
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6-8 leaves of fresh basil, chopped into small pieces
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 1/2 cups of dry white wine
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons of olive juice (from a jar of olives)
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In a large stew pot:

1. Sautee the onions, peppers, minced garlic, and celery in the olive oil in the bottom of the stew pot until cooked.
2. Reduce heat
3. Add the chicken stock and V-8 juice
4. Add all the canned vegetables and the tomato paste
5. Stir everything well, making sure to break up the tomato paste
6. Increase heat and cook until stew comes to a near boil
7. If the fish is frozen — zap it for a minute or so in the microwave to defrost
8. Add the fish cubes and the crab meat — stir to break up the crab meat
9. Add everything else — DO NOT LEAVE OUT THE LEMON JUICE – it makes this recipe
10. Heat to a near boil, then cover and simmer on low heat until the fish is cooked (20 minutes)
11. Open and drink a beer — such as Arrogant Bastard Ale, and let the stew cook a while longer.
12. Eventually, remove the bay leaves and eat the stew. It’s good.