Seafood and Spice and Everything Nice

For day 28 of Soup Month 2012, we have an amazing seafood stew that is truly one of the best I've ever eaten. The title really says it all for this dish.  The stew combines shrimp, scallops and swai fish fillets, and adds red and green peppers, plus chipotle and jalapeno peppers, with just a little kick from cumin and chili powder.  Everything comes together to create a mouth-watering bowl of seafood goodness.

 

This stew is a simple five step process that begins with a marinade for the seafood.  A combination of spices, minced jalapeno and garlic infuse the seafood with flavor while you prepare the rest of the stew.

The stew base gets a bold start with a bottle of dark beer, chipotle pepper and a spoonful of adobo sauce, plus some chopped veggies and a can of navy beans for a little extra heartiness.  Adding just a touch of cream at the end gives the broth a luxurious finish, and brings all of those flavors together.  You'll never, ever, find something this delicious in any restaurant.  It was quite simply, homemade and magnificent!   I hope you enjoy this stew as much as we did.

3 TB  Olive Oil
1 tsp  Ground Cumin
1 tsp  Smoked Chili Powder
1 medium  Jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 TB  Minced Garlic
1 lb  Swai Fish Fillets, (about 3 fillets) cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lb  Medium Shrimp, (41 - 50 count) peeled and deveined
3/4 lb  Scallops

2 TB  Olive Oil
1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
1 stalk  Celery, chopped
1 medium  Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium  Green Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tsp  Dried Oregano
1  Chipotle Chili, minced
1-1/2 tsp  Adobo Sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers)
1 bottle  Dark Beer
1-1/2 cups  Chicken Broth
1 can  Navy Beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 tsp  Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup  Heavy Cream

Step One - Seafood Marinade - In a glass bowl combine the 3 TB oil, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno, and garlic.  Stir to combine, then add the shrimp, scallops and fish to the bowl.  Toss gently to coat, cover and refrigerate while you prepare the stew.

Step Two - Making the Stew Base -  Heat 2 TB oil in a large soup pot, over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, red and green peppers, and oregano.  Saute for 5 minutes or until the veggies are slightly tender.  Add the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce and cook for 3 more minutes.  Add the beer, chicken broth, beans, salt, and pepper, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Step Three - Prepare the Seafood - While the stew base is simmering, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 TB olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the seafood plus any marinade to the skillet and saute for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the fish is nearly opaque.  (Be sure to turn the fish carefully so it does not break apart too much.)

Step Four - Add the heavy cream to the stew and stir to combine, then blend in the cornmeal, stir and cook for 3-4 minutes. (This will thicken the broth slightly.)

Step Five - Carefully add the sauteed seafood to the pot, gently stir and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.  Ladle stew into bowls and serve with lime wedges, tortilla chips or cheese quesadillas on the side.  Enjoy!!