Farmer’s Fish Stew

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces slab bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 1 quart low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into
• 1 inch chunks
• 12 ounces skinless firm white fish fillets, such as halibut, swordfish or cod
• 18 small littleneck clams (or manila clams)
• 8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 8 ounces bay scallops (or sea scallops, halved)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• Grilled or toasted country bread slices, for serving

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the bacon.  Cook until the bacon is crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
2. Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook with the leftover bacon fat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the bay leaves, clam juice, chicken broth and cream.  Bring to a simmer and add the potatoes.  Cover and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the fish to the pan, then the clams. Cover the pot and simmer until the clams just begin to open, about 4 minutes.  Drop  the shrimp and scallops in the sauce and cover again.  Simmer until all of the clams have opened (discarding any that haven’t) and the fish, shrimp and scallops are just cooked through, about 4 minutes.  Gently stir in the parsley and serve with grilled or toasted country bread.