Ash Wednesday fell on the last Wednesday of February. It marked the start of Lent, and in the Lenten tradition of sacrifice, simple living and self-denial, I am inclined to let go of eating meat.
“I think I’ll go to Boston for this year’s Passover Seder,” my husband, Dave, says over supper. Like everything else, celebrating the Seder with his family took a back seat to safety for Dave over the past three years.
If airlines and global health collaborate, he’ll be in Boston eating gefilte, brisket and matzo while I bake hot cross buns for my family and neighbours to share on Good Friday, and then cook a West Coast seafood stew called cioppino on Easter Sunday. But between then and now is the rest of Lent.
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“How do you feel about giving up meat for Lent?” I ask Dave.
Dave is a carnivore, and when he asks what we’ll eat for protein, I rattle off the alternatives — all of which he already knows. Lentils and beans. Fish and shellfish. Tofu and tempeh. Eggs and cheese. Greek yogurt and dairy. Nuts, seeds and grains.
“What about seitan?” Dave asks.
“Not for me.”
Seitan’s based on wheat gluten, so for my cranky gluten-sensitive gut and belly, it’s a non-starter.
“We could have a different vegetarian noodle dish every night,” I tell him.
He laughs, but I’m serious.
“Imagine,” I say. “Orzo and spinach with feta on Monday. Ricotta gnudi with brown butter and parmesan on Tuesday. Lasagne on Wednesday. Clam linguini on Thursday. Spaghetti with anchovies and walnuts on Friday. Pad Thai on Saturday, and on Sunday, grilled salmon on rice noodle and massaman curry.”
He laughs.
“I love watching you think about cooking, baby girl,” he says. “How can I help?”
“We’re having roasted salmon with cioppino flavours tonight,” I say. “Crack the fennel seeds and make the salad?”
The hardest part of dining meatless is making a choice from the multitudes. First we eat, then we trade ideas for other meatless meals.
Lila’s Cioppino (from Skinny Feasts)
This celebration meal is one of many seafood stews that proliferate along the coastlines of maritime nations. On the west coast of North America, cioppino, born on the docks of San Francisco, sets the standard.
Make the broth in advance. The easiest way to decide how much fish to buy is to calculate per person: three shrimp or prawns, three clams, three mussels, three ounces of crab in the shell or three ounces firm-textured white fish, like snapper, cod, monkfish, halibut or salmon if you’re non-traditional like me. Buy shellfish in the shell. The flavour is better.
Cioppino doesn’t reheat well. The fish tends to overcook, so cook only as much as can be eaten in one meal. Serve with crusty sourdough bread. Set out finger bowls of lemon-infused water as well as discard bowls for the shells and copious napkins, and remind your friends and family not to wear silk. This is a messy meal.
Serves 8-10 generously.
Broth:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 1 leek, finely sliced
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, finely sliced
- 1 bulb fresh fennel, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed, cracked
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 1 tablespoon cracked peppercorns
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 28-ounce tins of Italian plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- Salt and pepper to taste
Fish:
- 24 clams in the shell
- 24 mussels in the shell
- 1 1/2 pounds firm-textured fish
- 1 1/2 pounds crab in the shell
- 24 shrimp, shell on
- 1 bunch green onions, minced
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
To make the broth, heat the oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onion, leek, garlic, celery and fennel until tender, adding small amounts of water as needed. Stir in dried herbs and spices, then add the wine. Bring to a boil, stir in tomatoes and tomato paste, and simmer until thickened slightly. Add honey, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper to taste.
Scrub the clams and mussels. Pull off any beards that protrude from the mussels. Cut the white fish into bite-sized pieces. Chop the crab into manageable lengths. Chop the basil and green onion garnish.
Return the broth to the boil. Add the cubed fish, cover, reduce heat and cook for three minutes. Check to see if the fish is about half done. If it is, add the shrimp or prawns, cook for about three more minutes, then add the clams. After another two minutes, add the mussels and crab. Put the lid on after each addition and return the broth to a boil as you add each type.
Ladle into heated bowls, evenly distributing the various types of fish. Garnish with basil and green onions and serve hot.
Chef’s tip: To avoid overcooking, or if the pot is too small to cook all of the fish at once, use a slotted spoon to remove each type of fish from the pan after it is cooked. Cover and keep warm in a large bowl, then ladle into individual dishes. Top with broth and garnish.
