Seafood Stew and a Song

With all of the tragedy in the world today, I feel like making this post short and sweet by sharing the lyrics of a song that gets me every time and a wonderful seafood stew (chowder) recipe just because I’m craving seafood.

Do me a favor and give your loved ones a hug, tell them how important they are to you and sit down to have a meal together.

“There are places I remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more”

“In My Life” ~ The Beatles

Seafood Stew with Breadcrumbs adapted from Real Simple magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 slices of bread, torn into pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 leeks, light green and white parts only, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
8 oz. bottled clam juice
1 1/4 cups vegetable or seafood broth
1 ½ lbs. skinless cod, halibut, or sea bass fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
12-16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 cup half and half
coarse salt/freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley

*If you wish to add a little heated pep, add a few slices of Thai chili to the broth but remove it before serving. One large, diced potato can be added with the leek if you wish.

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a food processor, pulse the bread and 1 tablespoon of oil to form coarse crumbs. Place crumbs on a baking sheet and bake until golden, tossing once, 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside when done.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and leeks, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, a few more minutes. Add the clam juice and broth. Bring to a boil. Add the fish and mussels, simmer gently, covered, until the fish is opaque and mussels have opened. Get rid of any mussels that didn’t open.

Stir in the half and half, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until heated through. Serve in a bowl, sprinkling the chowder with the parsley and breadcrumbs. More bread to sop up the broth is a good idea.