COOKINGWITHCAMPICHE
Fish stew: A fi ne fusion of East meets West
BY DAVID CAMPICHE
Digging into the chest-freezer, I stum-
bled upon a package of halibut. It was a win-
ter day when the rain penetrated my con-
sciousness. If I needed a bit of cheering up,
the solution rested in my hand. Food and its
preparation often brightens up the spirit.
As the fi sh defrosted, I prepared the base
for a fi sh stew. Stock is always of the utmost
importance, and I simmered one on the
burner, on very low heat with leftover vege-
tables and Thai fi sh sauce with just a dab of
curry paste. Any leftover bits of the fi sh, head
or backbone, adds signifi cantly to the taste.
If you fi llet a whole fi sh, the opportunity is
optimal.
While I worked, I remembered hitchhik-
ing across France with deep sense of adven-
ture. The year was 1968 and my destination
was the sleepy village of Arles. We remem-
ber this hamlet in Provence from the sad
story of Vincent Van Gogh and his debil-
itating bout with depression. To this day,
his paintings inspire me and the world.
That day was hot and the rides had gone
poorly. Finally, in the city as the night skies
descended in an illuminating soft-pink veil, I
found a small cafe and was greeted warmly
and then off ered a specialty of the city, Arles’
famous seafood stew.
Years later, I off er a variation on that
divine bowl of fi sh stew. Holding back the
cream, I substituted coconut milk with a dab
of curry paste added to the stock. The prepa-
ration quickly sidled into a fusion, east meets
west. The most important ingredient — other
than a lovely fi llet of fi sh — was the fennel
bulb and orange rind. The marriage is exhil-
arating. That repast remains a happy mem-
ory that contributed to my love of fi ne sim-
ple food.
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons garlic
• 2 tablespoons each of butter and
virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoons of minced ginger
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1/2 fennel bulb, fi nely diced
• Two stalks of fi nely sliced celery
• 1 green pepper, diced
• ½ medium zucchini, diced
• 11 ounce can diced tomatoes
• One large fi sh fi llet, about 16 ounces
• Juice and rind of one orange, skin minced
• Three Kaffi r leaves
• 4 cups fi sh stock, curry added and just
a touch of red chili fl akes
• 1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh fennel leaf, fi ne
chopped
• 2 tablespoons of fi ne chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons of corn starch slurry
added to a quarter cup of liquid for
thickener
• 8 ounces of coconut cream
Preparation
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive
oil/butter mixture. Because this is a French/
Asian fusion, experiment with some minced
ginger. When translucent, add the diced fen-
nel root, orange rind, and then the vegeta-
bles. Stir fry for a few minutes and then add
the tomatoes, wine and fi sh stock. Add dried
chili fl akes to taste (Half a teaspoon). Simmer
gently for a half hour and then fi nish with the
coconut cream, orange juice, Kaffi r leaves,
herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Thicken
with corn starch and just before serving add
the cubed fi sh.
Many seafoods can be substituted. For
example, a few diff erent fi shes or crab meat.
Arles fi sh stew recipe from David Campiche.
Remember, the seafood just needs to be gen-
tly poached, a very soft boil. Lean protein
seizes up quickly and gets tough. One sim-
ple variation is to throw back to the French
and substitute heavy cream for the coconut
milk. Hold the curry and ginger. But the nice
thing about this fusion is that it is lower in
fat and agreeable to those with an intolerance
for dairy products. A perfect entrée for a din-
ner party.
Someday, I will hopefully travel with my
wife back to Arles and sample the specialty
of the house: fi sh stew. Until then, let’s enjoy
the bounty of the Columbia-Pacifi c, and
remember how lucky we are, living where
we do, and among friends.
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