Serves 4
Notes
You can (and should!) vary the seafood here based on what is good and fresh in your market, such as monkfish, striped bass, or halibut. For this preparation, I like littlenecks on the smaller side, but you should also use manila clams or even cockles- though double the number of cockles since they are so tiny. This dish becomes a whole meal with the simple addition of a loaf of crusty bread.
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pound skinless grouper fillet, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Kosher salt
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup pitted large green olives, such as Cerignola, halved
- 3 tablespoons drained capers in brine
- One 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- Peperoncino flakes
- 12 littleneck or other small clams
- 8 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Directions
Season the grouper with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread the flour in a shallow bowl or plate. Lightly dredge the grouper in flour. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the grouper all over, and remove it to a plate.
With the heat still at medium, add the onion and celery. Cook until the onion begins to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves and wine, and adjust the heat so the wine is simmering rapidly. Cook until it’s reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the olives and capers, and let them sizzle a minute. Add the tomatoes, rinse the can out with 1 cup water, and add that. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of peperoncino. Simmer until the celery and onions are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the clams. Cover and simmer until the clams begin to open, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, and gently settle the grouper in the sauce. Simmer until the shrimp and grouper are cooked through and all of the clams have opened (discard any that haven’t), 3 to 4 minutes more. Discard the bay leaves. Season with salt, if needed, and drizzle with a little more olive oil before serving.
