Best North Carolina Fish Stew Recipes

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EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA FISH STEW



Eastern North Carolina Fish Stew image

This quick-cooking fish stew, with its raft of eggs and no-stir preparation method, is specific to eastern North Carolina. Church fund-raisers and family gatherings center on the stew, where traditionally men would layer chunks of fish with bones and skin, thinly sliced potatoes, onions and spices in a caldron and stand around the fire watching it cook. About five minutes before it was done, someone would crack an egg for each guest into the tomato-rich broth. Eggs were a cheap filler and a way to stretch the stew to provide enough protein for a crowd, along with fish like striped bass or flounder from North Carolina's Atlantic shore. Vivian Howard, who left New York to open Chef & the Farmer, a restaurant in Kinston, N.C., offers this version for home cooks. The key is not stirring it at all, and watching the heat so the bottom doesn't scorch. Serve it with a couple of slices of squishy white bread (Sunbeam is traditional), which act as delicious sponges for the broth.

Provided by Kim Severson

Categories     dinner, seafood, soups and stews, main course

Time 1h

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 pound sliced smoked bacon
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 pounds white or red potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 pounds yellow onions, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 pounds fish steaks (about 6 steaks) around 1-inch thick, with bones and skin intact (striped bass, salmon, red drum, rockfish or sheepshead are good options)
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons chile flakes
3 bay leaves
12 eggs
1 loaf white bread (optional)

Steps:

  • Cut the bacon slices into 1-inch squares. Brown them in the bottom of a 10-to-12-quart stockpot over medium heat. Once bacon is crisp, remove it and reserve, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. Whisk the tomato paste into the fat, making sure you scrape up all the brown bits left from browning the bacon.
  • Turn the heat off and begin layering the ingredients in the stockpot. Start with a layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of onions and garlic, followed by a layer of fish. Top the fish with roughly a third of the salt, a third of the chile flakes and 1 bay leaf. Repeat this layering process two more times.
  • Fill the pot with enough cool water to just barely reach the top of the fish. (If there's a little fish peeking out over the top, that's O.K. - better than if it's swimming in water.) Cover the pot with a tightfitting lid and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Throughout the cooking, resist the urge to stir.) Once it starts to boil, reduce heat and let it cook, covered, at a high simmer for about 15 minutes. Check the potatoes for doneness. They should be barely tender, not falling apart.
  • Use a large spoon to remove the fat from the surface of the soup, and discard. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed. Then, with the stew at a good simmer, add the eggs one by one in a single layer over the top. (Crack each egg into a small cup before dropping it in.) Cook the eggs for 5 minutes until they are lightly set.
  • As soon as the eggs are lightly set, use a large ladle to portion out the stew. A proper serving is at least half a fish steak, some potatoes, some onions and an egg swimming in broth. Shower each bowl with bacon, and serve immediately with a piece or two of bread, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 454, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 29 grams, Fat 22 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 34 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 928 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams

NORTH CAROLINA FISH STEW



North Carolina Fish Stew image

This fish stew is an eastern North Carolina cuisine enjoyed by many locals and usually a favorite of anyone who tastes it. Serve with hot sauce if desired. I like to dip loaf bread into the broth, but some people prefer saltine crackers.

Provided by Stevie5011

Categories     Seafood Stew

Time 1h20m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 10

nonstick cooking spray
1 pound slab bacon
1 large onion, slivered
5 pounds potatoes, halved and sliced
6 pounds striped bass fillets, skinned
2 quarts cold water, or as needed to cover
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
12 large eggs, or more to taste
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Spray the inside of a large, stockpot with nonstick spray.
  • Cut bacon into small pieces and place over the bottom of the pot. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.
  • Add a layer of onion, followed by a layer of potatoes, then of fish. Repeat the layers until you run out of one ingredient. Continue to layer the remaining two ingredients until used up. Add cold water to cover everything. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally shaking the pot gently back and forth to agitate the contents and keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Don't stir or the fish will break into small pieces.
  • Place tomato paste, one spoonful at a time, into the stew until it falls off the spoon. When the stew color changes to red, crack eggs, one at a time, into the stew, dropping them in different places. Let eggs cook until they are completely done, cutting into a yoke to make sure it is cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 532.6 calories, Carbohydrate 40.2 g, Cholesterol 382.2 mg, Fat 15.8 g, Fiber 5.6 g, Protein 56.4 g, SaturatedFat 4.5 g, Sodium 750.7 mg, Sugar 5.8 g

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