Julia Child, the iconic chef who brought French cooking techniques to Americans, credits the port city of Marseille as the epicenter for traditional French Bouillabaisse. This dish incorporates a selection of Provençal herbs, garlic and seven kinds of bony fish unique to the Mediterranean. Finely chopped celery and carrots added to onions (called a mirepoix) is incorporated to offset the acidity of the tomatoes and the pungency of the garlic in the broth, and a bit of orange peel is added for brightness France, however, does not have a lock on fabulous fish stews and soups. Made with the catch of the day and the trifecta of onions, garlic and tomatoes, fisherman’sstews and soups can be found in any port city. Called “Cioppino” in Italy or “Caldeirada” by the Portuguese fishermen from Rhode Island, this is a hearty meal that can be shared with family and friends without breaking the bank. All you need is access to fresh fish and seafood. And we have many great choices to access fresh seafood in Rhode Island; catch it yourself, make friends with a fisherman, or buy at your local fish monger.
But for the recipe itself, we especially like the spin on Rhody Bouillabaisse, Chef Matthew MacCartney’s version of the classic Cookpot. A veteran of the restaurant Jamestown Fish, Chef Matthew’s spicy Jamestown Cookpot includes tomato, saffron, fennel, leeks–similar to a classic Bouillabaisse–but also hot pepper and chouriço, a Portuguese sausage similar to Spanish chorizo.
“When writing the first menu for Jamestown Fish, I wanted to create a dish that wouldbeoursignature.First,it had to be decadent and scream FISH. Second, I wanted the dish to have, as we say in the wine world, terroir, or a “sense of place,” says Chef Matthew. “FinallyI wanted the dish to represent me and who I am as a cook, through my travels and training.”
The result is his Jamestown Fish favorite, Cookpot.
To make the dish decadent he based it on prime hard-shell lobster, which yields abundant and sweet lobster meat and a flavorful broth made from the shell and carcass. “The final touch is the addition of lobster roe butter that sends the dish to the edge of being over the top in terms of flavor, “he adds. The secret local ingredient in the Cookpot is Rhode Island chouriço.
“The addition to this smoky, peppery, Portuguese pork sausage adds another layer of flavor and depth to the dish and gives a nod to the local community and its culinary traditions. And to achieve a further sense of place, I comprised the Cookpot of lobster, monkfish, sea scallops, mussels and clams, all harvested locally and all available year round so the Cookpot can always be offered.”
Chef Matthew goes on to explain that at Jamestown Fish they serve the dish in a covered flame red ceramic cocotte, or Dutch oven. The result is a dramatic presentation for both the person that ordered the dish and sometimes for the other guests in the dining room that see it pass by. Matthew adds, “The Cookpot is indeed a compilation of the flavors I tasted, techniques I learned and places I visited over my career as a cook and how harmoniously all those facets come together in one little red pot.”
While we love a glass of wine with the Cookpot, sometimes a cold, crisp beer is just the thing for some pallets. Mark Hellendrung, President, Narragansett Beer, says “I would suggest our Cream Ale, an all-malt, pre-prohibition style Cream. The Munich and Vienna malt characteristics pair well with seafood in general and the front forward flavor of the Columbus hops will marry well with the saffron of the Cookpot.” John Callahan, noted wine expert and owner of Bellevue Liquors in Newport adds his thoughts on the perfect wine pairing for the Cookpot in the adjacent table.
Whether you choose the wine or the beer, be sure to enjoy Chef Matthew’s recipe, either at home or at Jamestown Fish (reopening for the season this month.) Be sure to let us know how much your family and friends enjoy it…send us your comments and pictures at
coastalanglermag.com/rhodeisland.
Congratulations to our friend Chef Mathew MacCartney for winning Wine and Food’s accolade of Chef of the Year for 2015!
JAMESTOWN FISH COOKPOT
The Broth
- 32 oz Lobster Stock 2 oz Pernod
- 1⁄2 tsp Hot Pepper 1⁄4 tsp Saffron
- 2 Anchovies
- 10 oz Peeled Tomato and Juice 3 oz Tomato Paste
- 1⁄4 tsp Fennel Seed
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
Seafood
- 2 Lobster (live 1 3⁄4 lbs.)
- 8 Diver Sea Scallops (med size)
- 8 oz Monkfish
- 8 fingerling potatoes (cooked) 16 slices hot chourico
- 8 littleneck clams
- 4 oz raw diced leek
- 16 rope grown mussels
Directions
Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut into the lobsters between the eyes. This is the quickest and most humane way to kill them. Remove the claws and the tails and reserve raw. Remove the body from the shell and then remove the pale green gills and discard them because they will make the broth bitter. Also remove any dark green roe and reserve on the side to make the lobster butter. Discard any pale green tomalley. Cut the lobster body in half, and add to a pot with the shells and cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Cook the claws and knuckles in the simmering broth for two minutes and remove. After about a half hour of simmering the broth should be done. Strain the broth into a new pot. Add the above ingredients to the broth, and simmer them together for 15 minutes then blend with a hand blender to release all the flavors. Strain the broth and reserve. Take the reserved Lobster Roe and puree it with soft butter in a food processor until smooth. The ratio is 3:1, butter to roe. The color will be pale green. Reserve the butter in the refrigerator.
Procedure
You will need a casserole with a cover large enough to fit all the seafood. A cast iron 5qt pot works great.
Add all fish except Mussels and the half cooked lobster claws to the pot. Place the Clams and Monkfish on the bottom, followed by the scallops potatoes, leeks and Chourico. The raw lobster tails, (cut in half) are placed last on the top, above the broth. Pour the broth in the pot and cover. At this point, you are ready to cook. Turn on the flame at medium high and cook for 6 min or until the lobster shell begins to change color, (black to reddish), and the clams are beginning to open. At this point, add the mussels and lobster claws, cover the pot and cook for 2 minutes more. Uncover the pot and be sure the mussels and clams are open and the lobster is bright red. If so, turn off the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer all the fish and veggies to a serving bowl and cover to keep warm. Using a hand blender or whisk, mix the lobster butter into the broth. The hand blender works best. The broth will be bright pink/red and frothy. Pour the broth over the fish, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle parsley over the top, and serve with toasted bread.
