Boatman’s Seafood Stew
A splash of white wine lifts the tomato broth around tender pieces of fish. Bring thick bread to the table; the rustic sauce deserves every last swipe.

Recipe link
Prep time5 min
Cook time50 min
Total time1 hr 55 min
- Course
- Soups And Stews, One Pot Meals
- Cuisine
- Granny's Recipes, American
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Est. calories / serving
- 360
Ingredients
Fish Stew
- 2 pounds firm white fish — cod, haddock or halibut, cut into large chunks
- 2 teaspoons salt — divided
- 2 white onions — sliced
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 can tomato paste — 6 oz
- 3 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper
- As needed black pepper (optional) — to taste
- 1 cup parsley — chopped
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
For Serving
- 6 thick slices Italian bread — toasted
Garnish
- As needed parsley — chopped
- As needed lemon — wedges
- As needed black pepper — fresh cracked
Instructions
- Salt the Fish: Place fish chunks into a bowl and sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.32 oz fish, ½ tsp salt
- Cook Onions: Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until very soft and lightly golden.¼ cup oil, 2 onions
- Build the Broth: Stir tomato paste, water, red pepper, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, black pepper, parsley, and white wine into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.6 oz tomato paste, 3 cups water, ¼ tsp red pepper, 1½ tsp salt, black pepper, 1 cup parsley, ⅓ cup white wine
- Add Fish: Gently add the fish chunks to the simmering broth. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes, until the fish reaches 145°F or is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer and avoid stirring more than necessary.32 oz fish
- Serve: Place one slice of toasted Italian bread into each soup bowl. Ladle the hot stew over the bread and garnish with chopped parsley, lemon wedges, and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.6 slices Italian bread, parsley, lemon wedges, black pepper
Notes
- Firm Fish Works Best: Cod, haddock, and halibut hold together well during the final simmer. Cut the fish into large chunks so it does not break apart before serving.
- Salt the Fish Ahead: Letting the fish rest with salt seasons the pieces before they enter the broth. Keep the fish covered and refrigerated during the one-hour rest.
- Keep the Simmer Gentle: Do not boil the stew aggressively after adding the fish. A gentle simmer helps the chunks remain tender and intact.
- Broth: Allow the tomato base to simmer uncovered so the onions soften thoroughly and the flavors of the tomato paste, parsley, wine, and seasonings come together.
- Make Ahead: The tomato broth may be prepared up to one day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it to a gentle simmer and add the fish shortly before serving.
- Toast the Bread Well: Firm, deeply toasted bread holds up better after the hot broth is ladled over it.
- Best Served Immediately: Serve the stew as soon as the fish is cooked so the pieces remain large, moist, and tender.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow airtight container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently so the fish does not become tough or break apart excessively.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)
Yield
about 9 cups — Serving size: About 1½ cups stew with bread
Some ingredients could not be modeled and may meaningfully change the totals. Treat these values as a rough estimate.
- Calories
- 360
- Carbohydrates
- 29.5 g
- Protein
- 33.5 g
- Fat
- 11.5 g
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 70 mg
- Sodium
- 1150 mg
- Fiber
- 2.5 g
- Total Sugars
- 5.5 g
Equipment
- Large heavy pot or Dutch oven
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife and cutting board
- Ladle
- Soup bowls