Feelin' Brothy

The usual Wednesday cooking conundrum struck late that morning, upon final confirmation’s of DucCat’s poker game. What seafood dish to have for dinner? I spent my coffee break thumbing leisurely through crisp print-outs and stained cookbooks.

A Cooking Light recipe piqued my interest, due to the fact that it was fast, and I had most of the items already tucked away in my pantry. The fishmonger happened to be completely out of mussels that day, so I trotted out with a bag of impressively large prawns- hello, Shellfish in Tomato-Wine Broth!

I added some fading mushrooms for a little variety, and was generous with the salt and pepper. As with most ‘stews’, this could easily accommodate vegetable bin odds’n’ends, bulking up if necessary, or keeping it to its most basic components.

While this would easily lend itself to simply whetting hungry appetites, I found it filled the bill nicely as the main course, replete with grilled bread and fresh salad.


Shellfish in Tomato-Wine Broth
adapted from Cooking Light

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 package mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14.5) ounce can no salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
salt and pepper, as needed
1/2 pound jumbo prawns, peeled and deveined
2 Tablespoons mixed chopped parsley and basil

Heat olive oil in large heavy pan; add mushrooms, and cook for about 7-10 minutes, until mushrooms have released their liquid, and begun to brown.
Add minced garlic, sautéing for a minute.
Add wine, and the next four ingredients; add salt and pepper, then bring mixture to a boil.
Add shrimp, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until shrimp have just cooked through. DO NOT OVERCOOK!
Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.
Remove to bowl, strew with chopped parsley and basil, and serve with crusty bread and salad.