Mediterranean Fish Stew with Fennel

Fennel grows wild all along the shores of the Mediterranean, and on the banks of rivers.  Wherever the Romans traveled, you will find fennel growing there. It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb, and one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Greek legends say Prometheus used the stalk of a fennel plant to steal fire from the gods. Also it was the stalks of the giant fennel plant that the gods Bacchus or Dionysus and their followers used for wands in the wild and mystic bacchanalia festivals. It is fennel that gives this delicious Mediterranean Fish Stew its exceptional flavor.

You can use any firm white fish such as pickerel, cod, or sea bass for the stew. All work equally well. If you add some shrimp or prawns it will make it all the more interesting. Add the shrimp or prawns only for the last 2 to 3 minutes so they do not overcook. To finish the fish stew add a little more olive oil, fresh parsley and a bit of the feathery tops of the fresh fennel finely chopped.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
4 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 head of fresh fennel, very thinly sliced and then chopped.
5 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 fresh bay leaves
1 quart vegetable or fish stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds of fresh fish fillets (no bones)
8 -10 fresh shrimp or prawns with shells on and back vein removed (optional)
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of good olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fennel and sweat for another few minutes. The onions, garlic, celery and fennel should be transparent, not browned.

Add the tomatoes, potatoes and bay leaves and pour in the stock. The quality of the stock is absolutely essential. A good fish stock can be made by adding some bottled clam broth to any good vegetable stock.

Season the stock with sea salt and pepper and bring it all to low boil. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the fish fillets and cook for 15 minutes more. When the potatoes are tender and the fish flakes apart, add the lemon juice and herbs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. If you are using shrimp, this is the time to add them. Finish with a little more extra virgin olive oil, fresh chopped parsley and a bit of the feathery fennel tops chopped fine in each soup bowl . A good crusty artisan bread goes well with this amazing stew.