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New England Fish Stew

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 24, 2009

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

New England Fish Stew

Ingredients

4 ounces bacon, slicedcut into ¼-inch pieces2 medium onions, chopped coarse3 tablespoons flour ½ cup dry white wine 3 cups fish stock ¾ cup heavy cream 3 medium red potatoes, (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes3 medium white turnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes½ teaspoon dried thyme 2 large bay leaves Salt and ground black pepper 3 pounds haddock or cod fillets (¾ to 1 inch thick), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 4-ounce pieces¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

Before You Begin

We recommend using homemade fish stock in this recipe, such as our Quick Fish Stock or Classic Fish Stock. Haddock is the best choice of fish for this recipe. It is traditional, and its firm flesh holds up well in the stew. Cod is next best, simply because it is so traditional and its mild sweet flavor is very similar to that of haddock; it’s just a bit more flaky. Alternative fish choices are striped bass, hake, and halibut. We prefer thicker fillets, but you can use thinner fillets as long as you shave two or three minutes off the cooking time.

Instructions

  1. Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the bacon crisps, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set on paper towel–lined plate. Add the onion to the bacon fat and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until the onions are well coated and flour is lightly colored, about 1 minute. Slowly add the wine and 1/2 cup fish stock, stirring constantly until the liquid is thick, about 1 minute. Continue adding the stock 1/4 cup at a time, stirring all the time and scraping the pan bottom and edges to dissolve flour and loosen the browned bits.
  2. Stir in the cream, potatoes, turnips, thyme, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes and turnips are almost tender, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the fish pieces and bring back to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 7 minutes, ­stirring a few times to ensure even cooking. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand until the fish is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the bacon and parsley, and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately.
New England Fish Stew

New England Fish Stew

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Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

4 ounces bacon, slicedcut into ¼-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups fish stock
¾ cup heavy cream
3 medium red potatoes, (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium white turnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 large bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds haddock or cod fillets (¾ to 1 inch thick), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 4-ounce pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 ounces bacon, slicedcut into ¼-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups fish stock
¾ cup heavy cream
3 medium red potatoes, (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium white turnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 large bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds haddock or cod fillets (¾ to 1 inch thick), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 4-ounce pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 ounces bacon, slicedcut into ¼-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups fish stock
¾ cup heavy cream
3 medium red potatoes, (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 medium white turnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 large bay leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
3 pounds haddock or cod fillets (¾ to 1 inch thick), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 4-ounce pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For a New England fish stew with chunks of white fish, onions, potatoes, and bacon floating in a briny, creamy broth, we cut our fish fillets into 4-ounce pieces, small enough to sink down into the stew liquid but large enough to hold their shape, making for only a minimum of flaking. Homemade fish stock and heavy cream make a real difference and were the two main liquid elements in this fish stew recipe. Red-skinned potatoes were the obvious choice for this dish and performed admirably when cut into 1-inch chunks.

Before You Begin

We recommend using homemade fish stock in this recipe, such as our Quick Fish Stock or Classic Fish Stock. Haddock is the best choice of fish for this recipe. It is traditional, and its firm flesh holds up well in the stew. Cod is next best, simply because it is so traditional and its mild sweet flavor is very similar to that of haddock; it’s just a bit more flaky. Alternative fish choices are striped bass, hake, and halibut. We prefer thicker fillets, but you can use thinner fillets as long as you shave two or three minutes off the cooking time.

Instructions

  1. Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the bacon crisps, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and set on paper towel–lined plate. Add the onion to the bacon fat and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until the onions are well coated and flour is lightly colored, about 1 minute. Slowly add the wine and 1/2 cup fish stock, stirring constantly until the liquid is thick, about 1 minute. Continue adding the stock 1/4 cup at a time, stirring all the time and scraping the pan bottom and edges to dissolve flour and loosen the browned bits.
  2. Stir in the cream, potatoes, turnips, thyme, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the potatoes and turnips are almost tender, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the fish pieces and bring back to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 7 minutes, ­stirring a few times to ensure even cooking. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand until the fish is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the bacon and parsley, and adjust the seasonings. Serve immediately.

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