2024-11-14 12:40:25
My ladyfish avoids dairy, so the cream-rich preparations that I love so much in our house have been adapted to suit all palates. As such, I’ve fallen in love with a Ligurian stew that uses a purée of butter and almonds (yes, she eats butter) to provide thickness and subtle richness.
Serves 6–8
2 pounds whitefish fillets (such as monkfish, cod, or haddock), cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 fennel bulb, finely diced
3 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
8 cups fish stock or water (or mixture thereof)
1/2 pound hot-smoked shrimp
Crusty bread, to serve
1. Season the fish with salt and let it rest at least 2 hours, and as long as overnight.
2. In a food processor, combine the butter, almonds, and lemon zest and juice, and purée until it is as smooth as possible. Reserve.
3. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, fennel, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Pour in the fish stock or water, and simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld until the carrots are tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
5. Slice the shrimp lengthwise into 3 thin pieces each. Add the shrimp and seasoned fish to the pot. Return to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
6. At this point, it’s best to cool overnight and gently rewarm over low heat just prior to serving.
7. To serve, once warm, spoon out most of the broth into another pan and bring to a boil. Add the almond butter and whisk to combine. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then pour back on top of the fish. Serve with crusty bread and a few cracks of fresh ground pepper.
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