Florida Dinner Part II

Seafood Stew

Soups, stews, goulashes and the like all begin with a good stock. Usually I have at least one stock in my refrigerator, most often a chicken or chicken and duck based stock. Since I rarely have a seafood or fish stock I make one up for the occasion.

For the stock: can be prepared days ahead up until you need it. I started mine when I started working on the dinner.

Fish cuttings (I used edges and smaller pieces from the grouper I was using)
Shrimp shells (from the Shrimp used in this and other courses)
Water to cover
Bay leaf
Thyme (dried from a friend's herb garden)
celery leaves (cut from fresh stalk)
Fresh Parsley
Juice from steaming the clams
Pinch or two of white pepper

Simmer on low for half hour to and hour or so, use what you need in the stew

Stew

1/3 pound of shrimp -- cut into medium pieces
1/3 pound of grouper -- cut into medium pieces
5 large chowder clams (can be several varieties -- large clams found in many markets)-- chopped into small pieces -- reserve liquid steamed in
1 stalk chopped celery
1 small potato chopped
ground pepper to taste (white or black or both)
heavy cream -- approx. half a cup.

Optional:

other veggies: few tbls carrot chopped, peas, corn, etc.

I was only serving four people and since we had a number of previous courses I aimed for small 'cup-sized' portions. This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc.

Wash/scrub clams throughly in cold-warm water. Then steam the clams in a small amount of water until just open. Strain clam liquid through a very fine strainer and/or coffee filter and use liquid for stock. Chop clams and reserve any liquid for stew.

Start with fish stock, chowder clams, and celery in a medium pot on medium-low heat. Simmer until celery is beginning to soften. Add other veggies depending on cooking time, i.e. carrots before potato, then potato, etc. When all veggies are almost done, add shrimp and fish, cook until just done, then add cream to taste to smooth out. Taste to see if you need any salt. (Clams and other shellfish can have a salty flavor, so I don't use salt in fish dishes until the end.)

Serve hot with Popovers -- see below

Stilton Popovers

Popovers are one of those simple to make and wonderfully received dishes. My friends often request them. I use a James Beard recipe as a foundation, but they are quite versatile and you can be very creative with them:

2 extra-lg eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup water
pinch of salt
1 tlbs melted butter (optional)
1 ounce or so stilton cheese crumbled

Toss ingredients except cheese in a bowl and mix until blended. Pour in well-buttered popover molds* until about 2/3 full, sprinkle cheese in center, and place in cold oven.** Set to 425-450 and wait. Remove when puffed and gold brown (5-7 minutes). Serve with butter. [Note: Popovers fall quickly (as souffles do) when removed from the oven; so ideally time them to come out just as the fish stew is served.]

*Muffin tins work well also and I have even made 'mini-popovers' in small muffin tins and small candy/cake molds -- great fun for all.

**Tradition has it that popovers and the related Yorkshire Pudding should be popped (pun intended) into a very hot oven. As Mr. Beard points out, this is not necessary and they pop admirably when placed in a cold oven set to a high temperature.

Popovers can be 'flavored' in many ways. I have had cinnamon-sugar popovers and used many types of cheese and even other ingredients 'inside'-- what ever you set in the center of the mixture will sink depending on its weight and density and melting cheeses work very nicely as they spred throughout the popover as it cooks.

Enjoy,

Joe Koob