Fisherman's Stew for Two! (but really 3 or 4)

Fisherman's stew, a delicious 1 pot seafood medley, is traditionally served in a garlic tomato broth.

Tonight, however, I am going to serve the fish and broth with creamy mashed potatoes and garlic bread.

So here is tonight's grocery list:

• White fish (we used tilapia, $2.99 lb at Harris Teeter) 
• Clams (middle neck or little neck will both work)
• Shrimp
• Calamari
• Smoked sausage (bacon will work here as well)
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• Bell pepper (all colors will work here, I went with green, for flavor and color)
• Italian parsley (these are the flat leaf parsley, more flavor then the curly)
• White wine (we used Pinot Grigio, Sarah's favorite white wine)
• Clam juice (chicken stock will work)
• Russet potatoes
• Sour cream
• Heavy cream
• Butter
• French bread

Now this dish could get a little pricey, but remember you don't have to use every ingredient listed (for example, it'd be great with just fish and clams, cutting out the sausage, mussels, and shrimp).

This is a really pretty dish, so take a little more time with your knife cuts making sure all vegetables are the same size.


With that being said, let's get started:
-Small dice peppers, onions, and carrots and set aside.

-Peel and quarter 8 potatoes, and place in pot with salted water and bring to a boil. The easiest way to know when potatoes are done cooking and ready to be mashed, is when you can stick a skewer (a knife will work as well) in to a piece of potato and it slides off easily.

-Strain potatoes and add back to pot over low heat to make sure all water has evaporated. Add half a stick of butter, 1 cup heavy cream, and 2tbl spoons of sour cream. With an electric mixer, mix until smooth, and cover.

-Season fish, and sear in a hot pan with straight sides (so that it will hold liquid). Only cook fish half way and remove from pan. Add onions, peppers and carrots, then garlic last.  Sweat vegetables.

 Smaller cuts may take a little longer, but look how nice it looks!

-Add sausage. Deglaze pan with white wine, and reduce by half. Add tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cup of clam juice.

-The rest of the seafood cooks fast, so bring liquid to a boil and taste for seasoning, and add mussels, clams, shrimp and fish.

-Cover pan and wait until all shellfish have opened (if they don't open, toss them; they're dead).

Plating:
Mashed potatoes, fish, then broth and add mussels and other seafood last, so they are all visible.
Garnish with fresh parsley.