Spring fish and seafood stew

                                                    7 Portions

Ingredients:

450 g/1 lb fresh firm fish filets such as salmon, monkfish, cod or sea bass 

2 leeks, trimmed 

2 stalks celery 

14 shrimp
14 scallops 

14 fingerling or other little potatoes 

14 baby turnips 

7 white, or 14 green asparagus 

1⁄2 C heavy cream 

1⁄2 C water, or light fish stock 

2 T. butter 

2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme 

1⁄4 C dry white wine 

1⁄2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped 

Optional chopped chives and tarragon 

Optional 2 cups washed clams or mussels

Procedure:

• Cut all the vegetables to medium dice, preferably on the bias, or at least all the same size. 
• Wash the leeks till free of soil. Melt butter in soup pot, and add leeks and celery. Stir in bay leaf and thyme, and sweat covered about 10 minutes over medium heat with no browning. 
• In a separate pot, boil washed potatoes in salted water. Add wine to vegetables, simmer 5 minutes uncovered, then add turnips, asparagus, just enough water to cover, and simmer till vegetables are just under desired tenderness. 
• Meanwhile, cut fish into large chunks. Discard heads from seafood, and remove feet, but leave shell on. Add cream, salt to taste, then all fish and seafood at the same time and bring to simmer. 
• If fish pieces are not too large, they should take about the same time to cook through as the shell-on shrimp. 
• Add potatoes, chopped in last minute of cooking to reheat, as well as the herbs. Avoid boiling or over-stirring to keep fish in pretty cubes... For thicker results, stir in 2 T flour to the leek and celery after softening in butter.

Wine Suggestions:

Medium dry whites: Sancerre, Pouilly-fumé, Chablis, Muscadet sur lie, dry Riesling