Recipe: Thai Flavors Spicy Seafood Stew

*contributor aka food lover & fan of our store

Soups and stews are particularly easy meals. Changing an ingredient here and there to use what you have available isn't a problem. Using great ingredients makes your meal shine (and where else to get them, Howie's/Alexanders!). This recipe with optional rice was designed as a nice dinner for two people. But you could easily add a cup of some liquid (water, fish or chicken broth and/or coconut milk or a combination thereof) and skip the rice to make a wonderful appetizer for four. Change the heat, use more or less chilies!

Thai Flavors Spicy Seafood Stew

• 3 cups fish stock, homemade or purchased

• 6 - 8 oz. tasty white fish fillet such as cod, sole, halibut, etc., chopped finely

• 2 tsp. butter

• 12 oz. mixed shellfish, shrimp (peeled), scallops, calamari (squid)*

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 4 oz canned coconut milk (or more if you like it richer)

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 4 fresh hot chilies', such as Fresnos, Thai Chiles (aka Bird's Eye) preferred, or serrano or jalapeno (note: the heat on any group of chilies is different, use to taste

• 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning OR 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp ground celery seed, 1 bay leaf (ground), small pinch cinnamon, pinch cayenne (more or less to taste), small pinch paprika. If all you have is curry powder, it will be fine using 1 tsp plus 1/2 tsp (more to taste) salt, pinch cayenne (more or less to taste)

• 1/4 tsp. fresh thyme, preferred OR pinch dried thyme

• OPTIONAL if you don't have it: 1 tsp celery leaves OR small pinch ground celery seed. Ask your grocer for celery with leaves!

• 1/4 tsp ground allspice

• 1 TB sugar

• lime wedges as garnish

• 1 cup uncooked white rice (more or less as desired)

*If the shellfish is very small, you can use it as is, otherwise coarsely chop shrimp and cut other shellfish into approx 1/2" pieces.

Heat the fish stock in a large pot. Heat butter in a skillet. Lightly sauté the seafood in the pan. It will be heated again later so don't overcook. Remove and set aside.

Puree all the remaining ingredients (except the lime wedges and rice) in a blender then add to the pan and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Cook rice as directed on the package so that it will be ready when the soup is done cooking.

Place the puree and the reserved seafood into the heated fish stock. Stir and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Adjust salt as needed.

Put 1/2 of the cooked rice in each of two bowls. Place equal amounts of soup/seafood into each of the bowls. Garnish with lime wedges. Serve hot.

WINE SUGGESTION: Gamay, Dolcetto, Sangiovese or other fruity red.