Name: Eastern North Carolina Fish Stew
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 6 slices thick-cut bacon , cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips; 2 onions , halved and sliced thin; Salt; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 6 cups water; 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste; 1 pound red potatoes , unpeeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce , plus extra for serving; 2 pounds skinless white fish fillets , 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, cut into 2-inch chunks; 8 large eggs

Why This Recipe Works

Locals have loved this hearty, tomatoey, bacon-infused stew for decades; read about our experience here. For our version, we staggered the cooking of the onions and potatoes instead of dumping them both in at once. In a handful of tests we found that any mild, firm whitefish worked as long as it was cut into chunks of equal size and added toward the end of cooking. A surprising addition to this dish is poached eggs, which are layered atop the stew and cooked in a covered pot over medium-low heat until silky in texture.

Before You Begin

Any mild, firm-fleshed whitefish, such as bass, rockfish, cod, hake, haddock, or halibut, will work well in this stew. Our favorite bacons are Farmland Thick Sliced Bacon and Plumrose Premium Thick Sliced Bacon. Serve this rustic stew with soft white sandwich bread or saltines.

Instructions

Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper flakes and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Stir in water and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Add potatoes and bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook at vigorous simmer for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in Tabasco. Nestle fish into stew but do not stir. Crack eggs into stew, spacing them evenly. Cover and cook until eggs are just set, 17 to 22 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve, passing extra Tabasco separately.