Irish Fisherman’s Stew with Salmon and Pearled Couscous

You don’t need to be Irish to enjoy this stew! Sure, it’s a great excuse for a themed dinner on St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s also delicious any night of the week. It’s warm and filling, but we kept it light by using pearled couscous instead of potatoes. Pair with a loaf of sourdough bread – or soda bread if you want to keep traditional – and a pint of Guinness to wash it all down!

Recipe by Lindsay Evans Smith (@_LindsayEats_) for Catalina Offshore Products.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearled cous cous
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 fennel bulb, stems and core removed, outer shell discarded, minced
• 1 1/2 parsnips, peeled and minced
• 3 ribs of celery, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and cored
• 1 small cabbage head, core and outer leaves removed, shredded
• 3 Tbsp capers, rinsed and strained
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups canned tomatoes, strained
• 4 cups fish stock (homemade or storebought)
• 1 lb salmon, skin and pin bones removed, cut into 4 equal pieces
• 1/2 lb 16/20 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb clams*
• 1/2 lb mussels*
• 1/2 lb calamari tubes, sliced into rounds
• 10 leaves of basil, shredded

Directions

1. To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and cous cous. Stirring occasionally, toast the cous cous until it starts to turn golden. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until cous cous is tender. Set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Don’t brown.
3. Add in fennel, parsnip, and celery, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
4. Add garlic, apples, capers and cabbage, and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add in tomato paste, honey, and 1 tsp salt, stirring to combine with all vegetables.
6. Add strained tomatoes, and wine. Stir to combine and let simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Pour in fish stock, stir, and bring to a boil.
8. Add in the 4 pieces of salmon. Boil for 3 minutes.
9. Add shrimp. Boil 1 minute.
10. Add clams, mussels, and calamari. Once clams and mussels have opened, after max 5 minutes, turn heat off.*
11. Add fresh basil and cooked cous cous, stir to combine.
12. To serve, place one piece of salmon in each of 4 bowls. Ladle shellfish and broth in and around the salmon.

* Quick note about mussels and clams: You want to rinse them before cooking, under cold water to remove sand, and to see if any mollusks don’t close under running water. If you have clams or mussels that remain open, discard them and don’t cook them. The opposite is true once they are cooked. You will discard any mollusks th