Enjoy this hearty and healthy fish stew with a simple salad of mixed greens, garlic bread, and a crisp white wine: a Tuscan Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Spanish Albariño, or a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, Quincy, or Pouilly-Fumé).

You could also pair it with a light-bodied red wine, like Pinot Noir from Alsace (Kuentz-Bas makes a great one) or a Bardolino blend from northern Italy (Benazzoli Dafne is a favorite).

4 servings

Ingredients

Four 6-ounce skinless cod (or other white fish, like halibut) fillets

Salt and pepper

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup bottled clam broth

1 pound manilla or littleneck clams, scrubbed

1 cup frozen peas (I like to use small, petite peas from Trader Joe’s), optional

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

One 15.25 ounce can of butter beans (or other white beans), drained and rinsed

Pinch (or more) of smoked sweet paprika

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped herbs: parsley, basil, or thyme

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375. Season fish with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour.

2) In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add cod and cook over high heat until golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn cod. Transfer to the oven and roast for 4 to 8 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish; remember the 10 minutes per inch of thickness rule). The fish is ready when it flakes easily.

3) While cod is cooking (or you can follow this step before cooking the cod), heat the remaining olive oil in another large skillet until shimmering. Add shallots and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, wine and broth, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add clams. Cover and cook over low heat (simmer) for about 3 minutes.

4) Remove cover and stir. The clams should be beginning to open. (Larger clams will take longer to open). Stir in the peas if desired. Simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes until the clams are all open (throw away any that do not open).

5) Tilt the skillet so the liquid pools to one side. Add the butter and swirl until melted. Add the beans, paprika and lemon juice, and stir everything together with the sauce and spoon over the fish. You can also put the clams and sauce into bowls and top with a piece of cod.

6) Sprinkle with herbs. Serve and enjoy!