One pot meal: Sorta-Italian Seafood Soup for two (or a really hungry one)

[Amgine]

Today is one of those days that isn't fun for doing boat work: wet, windy, chilly but not quite cold. So I'm thinking comfort food, and just posted this on my blog.

For the seafood, here's a partial list of the stuff that has worked and/or should work: clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, lobster, crab (kinda disintegrates but very tasty), cuttlefish, squid, octopus, red snapper, halibut, orange roughy, pollock. Salmon might work; really, any fish that is boneless, firm and doesn't fall apart. I've never tried freshwater fish, but that should be fine too.

At home I broil thick slices of baguette spread with garlic butter and heavily sprinkled with some kind of shredded cheese - usually a fresh parmesan or asiago or similar - just until the cheese is toasted, and put this in the bowls before ladling in the soup. Can't do that on my boat - no oven! So simple toast or bread or crackers will have to do. This sounds a bit complex and gourmet-ish, but it's really very easy. Cutting up the fish and onions is pretty much the hardest part, and all total it's about 20 minutes to prep and cook.

1 Tbls butter
1/2 onion, chopped coarsely (or shallots or dried onion flakes reconstituted)
1 clove garlic, minced (dried ground garlic could be subst, but I don't know how much = 1 clove)
1 oz/30 grams bacon, rind removed and diced
1 stalk celery, chopped (or 1/4 tsp celery seed, or subst 1/4 cup diced fennel)
1/2 14 oz/398 ml can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine, chilled (or substitute rose or red wine)
2/3 cup fish stock (subst vegetable or chicken stock with a splash of fish sauce or clam juice or water + 2 tsp salt)
2 Tbls fresh basil shredded (about 2-3 large leaves) (or 1 and 1/2 tsp dried whole basil or 1 scant tsp dried ground basil, or subst marjoram)
1 Tbls fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped, divided (or 1 tsp dried or subst 1/2 Tbls green onion tops or chives or skip it if you don't have anything you think would work)
1/2 lb/225 g firm fish fillets, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces OR somewhat less in cleaned shellfish, preferably a variety.
2 oz shrimp or scallops or other sweet shellfish

Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan/dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until just clear and soft. Add bacon and celery and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes until bacon is clear but not browning.

A note about the bacon: Hard cured slab bacon can keep aboard the boat without refrigeration, but it has a rind which would need to be cut off before use in this recipe. Any other bacon or side pork can be substituted, or ham, capicolo, prosciuto, etc. It needn't be diced; if it's already sliced, cut into small bite-sized pieces.

Add tomatoes, wine, stock, basil, and half of the parsley (skip this if using green onion or chives). Season to taste with salt and pepper (and whatever else you think it needs, but simpler is often better here.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remember to put the wine back on the ice to keep it chilled.

Now make your toast, if you have a broiler. Any thick sliced bread, with something rich on top like butter and shredded cheese. Put it into the bottom of the bowls.

Add the fish and cook until just opaque, 3-5 minutes or so. Add shrimp and heat very gently (or remove from heat if pre-cooked) about 3 minutes. Immediately ladle into bowls over the toast, sprinkle with remaining parsley (or green onion or chives) and serve with generous glasses of chilled white wine.

The only reason the white wine was chilled was for serving with the meal. Very important though.