Greek Fishermen's Stew with Garlic Crostini

Cat Cora Cooks for President Obama, Greek PM at White House

From the kitchen of Cat Cora

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tbs chopped fresh marjoram (or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram)

1 tbs chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

2 cups seafood/fish stock or bottled clam broth or cold water

1-1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, clams or mussels (deveined, shelled and cleaned)

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 thick slices rustic bread toasted rubbed with garlic and olive oil

Cooking Directions

Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan or pot set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, cook the onion slices until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, saute for 2 to 3 minutes more, and then pour in the wine. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and herbs.

Pour in the fish stock or water and then add the clams and mussels (if using). As soon as the clams and mussel shells open, add the shrimp and simmer just until shrimp are pink. (If you're not adding clams or mussels, you can add shrimp right after you've added the fish stock.)

Season with salt and pepper and serve hot. If you like, add a toasted slice of a thick, hearty rustic bread beside each serving.

Buy mussels the day you plan to use them. About one hour before cooking, scrub mussels with a brush (no soap!) under cold running water to get rid of grit and pull off the fringed byssus (also called a beard) or scrape it off with a knife. Keep them in a bowl of ice water until they go into the pan. The mussel shells will open during cooking. If any mussel doesn't open, toss it.