Recipe for a delicious Dungeness Crab Stew With Fennel And Citrus

Dungeness Crab Stew With Fennel And Citrus This seafood stew is emblematic of chef Jonathan Waxman’s ingredient-driven, Italian/Cali/French fare that lures diners to his restaurants in New York, Atlanta, Nashville, and counting. Waxman brightens a traditional garlicky-tomato broth with fennel, orange zest, and rosé—one aromatic spoonful will whisk you away to the Mediterranean. Seafood stew might sound fancy, but this one couldn’t be easier to make. The recipe calls for cooked crab, as it is most readily available, but if you have access to fresh crab, by all means use it; add it with the wine to cook it through. Serve with rice, orzo, or crusty bread and, naturally, a bottle of dry rosé.

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MAKES
6-8

INGREDIENTS

1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
2 onions, sliced
2 leeks, white and light green parts, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
Peel of 2 oranges
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of saffron
2 cups rosé wine
1 pound halibut, skin removed and cut into 8 cubes
1 pound unpeeled whole head-on shrimp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
2 cooked Dungeness crabs, cut in half and gills removed

HOW TO MAKE IT

In a large cast-iron cocotte, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions, leeks, and fennel. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft, then add the bay leaves, orange peel, tomatoes, ginger, red pepper flakes, saffron, and wine and bring to a simmer.
Add the halibut and shrimp and a large pinch each of salt and pepper and stir well with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, or until the fish and shrimp are just about cooked through. Add the butter and crabs, cover again, and cook until the crabs are warmed through. Serve immediately.