This stew’s origins start on a chilly fall day in Maine, the kind of day where you must have something hot and hearty so your bones don’t get too cold. The tomatoes are roasted to dramatically amplify their flavor and give a strong identity to the stew. I love using roasted tomatoes as a general base-builder for meals because it doesn’t rely on tomatoes being in season to get that deliciously sweet and acidic tomato flavor.
Now, when you’re on the coast of Maine good seafood is plentiful so it was a natural fit to bring cod to the party, but doing it every so gently right before serving to ensure the fish is perfectly flaky without room for overcooking. Cod is a great companion in the stew because it’s cooked so quickly, you need a super flavorful broth to impart flavor onto the mild fish. I like to eat this with bowl of rice or a side of thick sourdough toast for dipping.
Roasted Tomato and Cod Stew
Ingredients
- 20 oz cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 bell pepper finely diced
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 large celery ribs roughly chopped
- 3 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups stock
- 1 –1½ lb cod cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the cherry tomatoes to a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, until soft and releasing their juices.
- About 5 minutes before the tomatoes come out of the oven, heat the neutral oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook until very soft, deeply fragrant, and reduced by about half, roughly 10 minutes.
- Stir in the paprika, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, letting the tomato paste darken slightly.
- Add the carrots, celery, white beans, stock, and roasted tomatoes along with their juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- Taste the stew and adjust seasoning for salt and heat before adding the fish.
- Just before serving, gently add the cod to the pot and simmer lightly for about 3 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
- Remove from heat, stir in the parsley, and serve immediately.
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