Summer Seafood Stew with Garlic-Miso Broth

Preparation

White miso adds a subtle, savory depth to the broth that feels surprisingly at home alongside more traditional flavors of fennel and orange. The best part: most of the prep can be done ahead of time, so the stew comes together quickly when you're ready to cook. Seared scallops and crusty bread make great additions if you want to round it out into something really special.

*This recipe originally ran stateside on HexClad.com.

1. Make broth. In a HexClad 10QT/10 L Hybrid Stock Pot over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring, until shells are pink and opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Add ½ cup/120 ml wine and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add 8 cups/2 L water, clam juice, celery, roughly chopped fennel, roughly chopped shallot, garlic head, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until flavors meld, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a heatproof bowl. Discard solids; season broth with salt. If making ahead, transfer broth to an airtight container and let cool before refrigerating. Otherwise, transfer to a bowl and proceed with stew.

2. Make stew. Place fish on a large plate. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons wine and 2 tablespoons oil. Zest orange and lemon overtop, then sprinkle with thyme leaves and season with salt; set aside.

3. Clean out and return pot to stove over medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Once shimmering, add finely chopped fennel, finely chopped shallot and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add clams and remaining ½ cup/120 ml wine and cook, covered, until beginning to open, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl, discarding any that didn’t open; cover to keep warm. Add mussels to pot and cook, covered, until beginning to open, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with clams, discarding any that didn’t open; cover to keep warm.

4. Return pot to medium-high heat and add reserved broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until broth is hot and flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Add miso to a small bowl, then ladle 1 cup/240 ml overtop. Whisk to combine; set aside.

5. Gently stir shrimp and fish into broth, cover and adjust heat to medium-low. Cook until shrimp and fish are firm and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add miso mixture, clams, mussels and any juice to pot. Stir gently to combine; remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

6. Cook scallops. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a HexClad 12"/30 cm Hybrid Fry Pan over medium-high until piping hot (a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate immediately). Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and scallops, spacing them evenly apart. Cook, undisturbed, until underside is deeply golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until scallops are just cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

7. Divide stew between bowls and top with scallops. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with grilled bread. 

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

Refrigerate stock in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.