Cod and Potato Stew

Sometimes you gotta take a look in your pantry and fridge, see what you have, and just go crazy with it. Be bold! Even if it tastes like shit, at least you got rid of some ingredients and cleared some space.

That is how my Cod and Potato Stew was born. In this case, I had some ingredients left over from my Grilled Cod, Potatoes, and Corn in Foil. I had several fillets of frozen cod and wanted to put it to use, even though whenever I think of cod, I always think of Captain Hook calling Peter Pan a "codfish!"




Anyways. This stew turned out quite delicious, and I would definitely make it again. Enjoy!


Food Porn Description: One bite of this warm, comforting stew will fill your mouth with the flavors of tender flakes of cod, hearty potatoes, sweet tomatoes, and soft white beans, all suspended in a rich, creamy broth. Skip the spoon altogether and dunk a thick piece of crusty bread into the stew, letting it soak up all the flavors for you.....


Ingredients:

• 1 cod fillet. The thick cod holds up well to stewing and reheating.

• 1 can low sodium chicken broth

• 1 can diced tomatoes in juice

• 1 can white beans, drained. Also known as Great Northern Beans, which makes me think of Vikings.

• 2 cups diced potatoes. I used fingerling, but you could also use Yukon Golds or small yellow potatoes. They have a lovely waxy, creamy texture.

• 1 diced onion

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1 tbsp. lemon juice. The acidity helps cut the sweetness of the tomatoes, and citrus always pairs well with fish.
  

• 2 tbsp. minced garlic

• 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning

• 2 bay leaves. I love these lil guys. They add a delicious savory quality to soups and stews. Just make sure to take them out at the end, cause they are too tough to eat!
  

• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

• Olive oil

If you have other veggies on hand, feel free to add them as well. This makes quite a bit of stew, but it reheats very well, so you can enjoy it for days.


Directions:

Drizzle some olive oil in a pot on medium high heat. Add your diced onion and cook a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic at the end and cook for a minute (don't put it in with the onion at first, since it cooks much faster).




Pour in your chicken broth, tomatoes with juice, lemon juice, the Italian seasoning, and the bay leaves.




Dice up your potatoes and add them to the pot as well. Let the stew come up to a boil and then reduce the heat to low so it can simmer for 25 minutes or so. This will give the potatoes time to become nice and tender and for all the flavors to meld together.




Cut up your cod filet into large chunks. Make them generously sized cause the fish will flake apart a bit when it cooks.




When the potatoes are tender (stick a fork in them to check), go ahead and add the beans and the cod chunks. It's okay if some of the liquid from the can of beans gets into the stew because it is starchy and will help thicken it. Cover the pot so it helps the fish steam.




Let the stew simmer with the lid on for another fifteen minutes until the cod is cooked (opaque all the way through and flakes apart easily.) Now stir in your cream and the parsley, and remove the bay leaves.




Spoon into a bowl and serve with a nice piece of bread for dipping, if you'd like. Comfort food at its finest!