Sicilian Style Fish Stew

Combining simple ingredients to create a comforting Sicilian style fish stew. This stew has layers of flavors from the tender pasta to the tomato-based broth to the garlic herb oil and is best served with crusty bread on the side.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Tomato paste: A concentrated tomato product that adds a deep, rich tomato flavor to the stew.
• Canned crushed tomatoes: These tomatoes have been crushed and are often canned with their juices. You can also use diced canned tomatoes if you want a chunky stew.
• Red chili flakes: The dried crushed red chili peppers add heat to the soup.
• White wine: Use a dry white wine rather than a sweet one. The white wine adds acidity and complexity to the stew.
• Kalamata olives: The dark purple olives have a distinctive almond shape and rich flavor that help flavor the broth. If you can't find kalamata olives, use black olives or another brine-cured olive.
• Capers: The small flower buds preserved in brine add a tangy and salty flavor to the broth.
• Orzo: A type of pasta that's shaped like rice grains. You can also use another small pasta such as ditalini, couscous or small macaroni.
• Firm white fish: Use a mild-flavored fish that can absorb the flavors of the stew such as cod, haddock, halibut, sea bass, or grouper.

Substitutions and variations

• Wine: If you dislike wine, you can substitute it with fish stock.
• Non-spicy: To avoid spice, omit the red chili flakes.
• Gluten-free: Swap the orzo with a gluten-free small orzo, ditalini, or small macaroni.
• Protein: You can substitute the fish with other seafood such as scallops, shrimp, crab, or a combination of them.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Cook the broth

Let's start by making the broth. Heat oil in a large pot and saute the onion and celery until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and red chili flakes and saute for another minute. You can omit the red chili flakes, but I personally like the little kick.

Add the tomato paste and stir the ingredients so that everything is coated in the paste. Continue to cook until the paste becomes caramelized, intensifying the tomato flavor.

Then, add the remaining ingredients for the Sicilian style fish stew, excluding the fish and cooked orzo. Season the broth and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. The sauce will reduce and the flavors will marry, creating one delicious broth.

Step 2: Add fish

Finish the stew by adding the cooked orzo and fish and simmer for about 5 more minutes or until the soup is done. I used cod for my stew, but you can use any other firm white fish such as haddock, bass, or halibut.

You could also cook raw orzo in the soup, but I prefer to cook it beforehand. When you cook raw orzo directly in the soup, it soaks up a lot of the broth, and I like my stew with a lot of broth.

Step 3: Make roasted garlic herb oil

While the soup is simmering, make the roasted garlic herb oil. Although the soup is tasty without the oil, the finishing oil adds an extra level of flavor.

Heat olive oil in a small pot with a couple of smashed garlic cloves over low heat. Continue to simmer the oil, slowly browning the garlic. Once the garlic is golden brown, remove the oil from the heat.

Pour the hot oil over the fresh chopped herbs and let the mixture cool. You can prepare the herb oil up to 5 days in advance.

Portion the soup into bowls and drizzle the garlic herb oil on top. Sprinkle grated parmesan to finish and serve the stew with crusty bread on the side.

This Sicilian style fish stew was exactly what I was looking for. It has complex flavors thanks to the briny olives and capers, roasted garlic herb oil, cod, and white wine. Soak up all that goodness with crusty bread and get ready for seconds!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The soup can be prepared the night before, while the herb oil can be made up to 5 days in advance.
• Store: Keep both the soup and the herb oil in the fridge in airtight containers. The soup will hold for up to 2-3 days, while the herb oil will last for 1 week.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Sicilian Style Fish Stew

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: seafood

Servings: 6

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Sicilian style fish stew

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 celery ribs chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 4 cups fish stock
• ½ cup kalamata olives sliced
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 cups cooked orzo
• 2 pounds white fish fillets, cut into 2 inch pieces
• salt and pepper

Remaining ingredients

• ¼ cup oil
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons basil finely chopped
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• crusty bread for serving

Instructions

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and celery and saute until the vegetables are softened, about 7-8 minutes. Add minced garlic and red chili flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, stirring to combine, and cook for 1 minute or until the tomato paste is caramelized.
• Add canned tomatoes, white wine, fish stock, olives, capers, bay leaf, and thyme to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, make the garlic herb oil. Place the chopped parsley and basil in a heat safe bowl. Heat ¼ cup oil in a small pot with the smashed garlic over low heat. Continue to simmer the oil until the garlic is golden brown and softened. Remove from heat and pour the hot oil over the herbs. Let cool completely.
• Add the cooked orzo and fish to the stew and increase heat to medium. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Season the stew with salt and pepper.
• Portion the Sicilian style fish stew into bowl and drizzle the garlic herb oil on top. Sprinkle grated parmesan and serve with crusty bread if desired.

Notes

Use a firm white fish such as cod, halibut, or sea bass for the soup. You can also substitute the fish for shrimp or clams or use a mixture of seafood.

The herb oil can be prepared up to 5 days in advance but the vibrant color can dull over time.