A Riff on Bouillabaisse

What to do with some fish, a sausage, white wine, peppers, garlic and herbs? Make a fish stew or a matelote if you want to get pretentious. I looked up the difference between a bouillabaisse and a matelote. Saffron is the big difference. I actually had a little saffron, but didn't use it in this dish because I forgot I had it! No big deal. This stew was good enough that a friend who tasted it asked for the recipe. Here it is:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



12 oz. salmon, 3 jumbo shrimp, 1 sausage link, 3/4 cup shitake mushrooms, 2 celery stalks, 1 small onion, 3 large garlic cloves, 1/3 orange pepper, 1/3 green pepper, 1 small can crushed tomatoes, 1 can seafood stock (I used Bar Harbor), 1/2 cup white wine, 2 T. ghee (clarified butter), 1 tsp. olive oil,
1/2 tsp. herbs de provence,  1/4 tsp. smoked paprika, 2 sprigs fresh thyme.
wood smoked salt, freshly ground pepper.

STEP ONE:



Slice onion, chop celery, mince garlic and thinly slice peppers. Heat 1 T. ghee in a pan over medium heat (I used a paella pan) and add the vegetables minus the garlic. Stir for a minute and
add 1/2 tsp. herbs de provence, 1/4 tsp. smoked salt and a generous grind of the pepper mill. Continue stirring for a minute or so and then add two springs of fresh thyme, the sliced
mushrooms and the garlic along with another T. of ghee and 1 tsp. olive oil.



STEP TWO:









Cook for a few more minutes until the peppers soften a little. Add the sliced sausage and allow to lightly brown and then add three small ladles of crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Add seafood stock and allow pan to come to a simmer for 3 minutes. Add salmon chunks and cook for 4 more minutes. Add shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Can serve in a bowl or over pasta. I served it over pappardelle the first night and then had it solo in a bowl for lunch the next day.  Remove thyme springs first and adjust salt according to taste.



ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!