Coconut Curry Seafood Stew

Inspired by the abundance of summer peas from our garden and lovely Alaska spot prawns caught out of Whittier, AK, with my dear fishing friends. We live in the world’s best water for boating, scenery, and seafood.

When selecting seafood for your meals, there is a big dilemma over farm-raised vs. wild caught. Farmed fish tend to be concentrated together and require antibiotics and pesticides. But there are some groups that use ethical farming practices and believe it is important not to deplete wild species through over-harvesting.  Bluefin tuna and New England cod, for example, have both nearly collapsed from overfishing. It isn’t a clear cut answer.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps tabs on the general healthfulness and sustainability of various species and you can check their list here and decide for yourself. They even have an app for your mobile device.

You can read more about coconut milk health benefits  here.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbs (¼ stick) butter
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder (caution-commercial brands usually have corn starch and “fake” flavors in their “proprietary blend” of ingredients. It is easy to make your own.
1 13-ounce can organic unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 small bay leaves
2 pounds seafood: pictured is shrimp and calamari
3 carrots, sliced on a diagonal
2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
1½ cup fresh peas
Chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add coconut milk,  lime juice and bay leaves; simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add seafood. Increase heat, cover and simmer until seafood is cooked, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the seafood into a serving bowl.
5. Add the vegetables to the sauce and cook lightly, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; discard bay leaves.
6. Spoon vegetables and sauce over seafood, toss, and sprinkle with cilantro to serve.

Copyright © 2011 Marie Cecchini Sternquist. All Rights Reserved