International maritime stews

Vegetarian Journal, March-April, 2003 by Nancy Berkoff

CHEFS HAVE BEEN attempting to capture the sounds and smells of the seaside in a bowl or on a plate for centuries. You may have heard about some of the more successful dishes: saffron-scented bouillabaisse, chorizo (a dry Spanish sausage)flavored paella, bourride with monkfish, and chaudiere (also known as "chowder") with lobster and clams.

But, you say, how's a vegan to enjoy these Spanish, French, and Italian dishes? Their main ingredients are fish and seafood! We'll let you in on a little secret--what stands out is not the fish, but rather the seasonings and the cooking style.

The seafood in these dishes is usually mild in flavor; it adds a little character to the taste but not that much. What it does add is texture. There are many vegan ingredients that can be used in its place. Tofu, seitan, tempeh, potatoes, summer squash, and vegan sausage can lend their texture to seaside stews.

The cooking liquid is essential to develop the flavor of a non-fish stew. For example, a court bouillon is used for poaching mild fish to add flavor and moisture. Visit any classical kitchen and you'll find a court bouillon simmering on the stove. Court bouillon is a combination of water, lemon juice, onions, carrots, celery, crushed peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley that is allowed to cook until it takes on a perfume of its own. You can use court bouillon to poach extra firm tofu, plain or flavored seitan, plain or flavored tempeh, zucchini or summer squash, boiling potatoes, or mild-flavored vegan meats, such as Tofurky or Field Roast. We've included a recipe for a saffron broth. You can use this fragrant liquid to add seaside flavor to vegetables and rice.

Provencale-style stews are French peasant-style stews with Italian and Spanish influences. To make anything provencale, you need olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, black pepper, and olives. Combine these ingredients and allow them to simmer. The combined flavors will give you the essence of a provencale fish stew without the fish. Add chunked eggplant, yellow squash or potato, or extra firm tofu or seitan pieces. Allow to cook until they have incorporated the taste of the provencale vegetables, herbs, and spices.

Technique is important for developing flavor as well. For example, meuniere is a classic fish preparation using lemon juice, parsley, butter, and lemon as a garnish. The fish is coated in flour and cooked. It is seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper, then served with a meuniere garnish. You can prepare a non-seafood meuniere with slices of extra firm tofu, seitan "steak," thin slices of portobello mushrooms, or thinly sliced Russet potatoes. Of course, you would use vegan margarine instead of butter.

A Sauce Portugaise is a traditional seafood sauce. A French-style tomato sauce is made from tomato paste, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, peppercorns, and thyme and is allowed to simmer until thick. This sauce is combined with more tomatoes, onions, garlic, and parsley to make the Sauce Portugaise. The sauce is used to make fish stews and to serve over fish steaks. You can do the same with a summer squash and potato stew or with seitan "steaks."

Oreganata is a classic way to prepare clams. Olive oil, onions, garlic, lemon juice, breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, oregano, white pepper, and paprika are used to make a thick paste. Clams are added, and the whole thing is fried to make a hot appetizer. Instead of clams, you can use small cubes of cooked potatoes, mild vegan meats, or cubes of extra firm tofu. The ingredients and the spices overpower the flavor and texture of the clams. No one will ever know or care that the Clams Oreganata is clam-less.

Much of the traditional flavor of seafood stews is from traditional herb blends used to make savory broths. Carrots, onions and celery, known collectively as "mirepoix," are combined and used as a standard ingredient, as are bouquet garni (sachets) of parsley stems, whole black peppercorns, ground thyme, and a small amount of garlic. Olive oil, leeks, and mushrooms, as well as white wine and lemon, complete the ingredients for a seaside flavor.

Let's discuss the two main seasonings in the most famous seaside stews, paella and bouillabaisse. Without bay leaf and saffron, these two dishes would never have developed.

Bay leaf, the deep green leaf of the sweet bay laurel, originated in the Mediterranean region. Ancient Greeks awarded bay laurel wreaths to outstanding scholars, renowned artists, and triumphant athletes. The word "baccalaureate" even means "laurel berry." The bay leaf was thought to have magical properties. Ancient Romans thought that bay leaves would protect them from the plague. In the Middle Ages, bay leaf was thought to bring good luck.

The bay leaf is a powerful herb. It likes to simmer and marinate, developing slowly over time. Use bay leaf sparingly, as it can become very, very strong. It is easier to use dried bay leaf, rather than fresh bay laurel leaves. The fresh can have a very harsh flavor. Store dried bay leaves in a cold, dry place in an airtight container. And purchase enough to make yourself a laurel wreath for perfecting the art of vegan "seafood" stews.