I start the day each morning tentatively peeking my head out checking for dark clouds and foreboding skies. Spring is here, yes, but we are having a stormy season. Today, I hear the birds singing and the sun is, indeed, shining — all appears right and good, but my Spidey-sense says don’t let your guard down.
My nervous system has not found its equilibrium from the wild ride that has been 2025, which came in with quite the bang. Makes sense really: I am not a fan of things that go boom (not literally, not metaphorically), and we have had lots of booming and banging since the first of the year.
If I could draw it on paper, I would depict the new year arriving as a bigger than life Cruella DeVille with a wicked smile and a mane of wild hair, a death grip on the steering wheel of a red convertible, blowing up a cloud of dust in her wake as far as the eye can see, braking and skidding to a screeching halt — Coming in Hot!
From Blizzard on the Beach, aka Snowmageddon, in January to all sorts of windy, unpredictable weather throughout February to these scary “bomb cyclones” so far marking the weeks of March, I have been on high alert for too many hours of too many days.
In the words of my late mother, I am discombobulated.
Could be lack of sleep from spending many midnight hours glued to weather apps while under a tornado watch, or worrying over my not-as-feral-as-she-used-to-be kitty who refuses to come inside during a storm. For all I know, it could be the alignment of the planets — I heard they all lined up in some kind of planetary parade back a couple of weeks ago — or could it be the upcoming total lunar eclipse and “blood” moon later this week? All I know is I feel anxious and off, like I am not in sync with those around me.
Has Mercury gone retrograde? Can a person go retrograde? If so, I think maybe I have.
I generally usher in St Patrick’s Day with an abundance of springtime energy and good cheer, feeling as light and breezy as my pollen-drenched hammock hanging outside. This year, though, has been different. I am just going through the motions, pushing forward with a fake-it-till-I-make-it kind of attitude, believing once this week’s ‘weather bomb’ is over — or “bombogenesis,” or another menacing, meteorologists’ coined name thrown out for the latest explosive, fast-strengthening, impending-doom hyped storm, that my worry will subside. But lately it has been a rinse and repeat cycle with no end in sight.
I do not know if it is my weather-anxiety or just that we are still having cool evening temperatures, but I have not stopped craving warm, cozy food despite our brighter, sunnier days. As a result, I have made most every comfort dish I know, but I saved this Boozy Fish Stew for St Patrick’s Day. It has neither cabbage nor potatoes and is tomato based, but it is so good no one is going to scrutinize.
Speaking of what makes up this most delicious and fragrant stew and despite the name, go on and include shellfish: crustaceans, mollusks or bivalves, anything you like. It is luxuriously rustic and should include lots of local, fresh seafood of your choosing. Some people add lobster tails and mussels; others prefer to stay with only fish.
You cannot go wrong; it is your picture to paint.
This recipe is faster, cleaner and simpler than other seafood stews, bouillabaisse, or cioppino, and by that I mean you will not have to deal with heads, tails, scales, bones or anything repulsive to make the flavorful, deeply-hued base, which is a massive plus for this home cook.
The bourbon and sherry, plus a few additional ingredients, make up for the depth and richness otherwise imparted from a long simmered fish broth made from, let’s just say, the less desirable bits. This spares quite a lot of cooking time, but vastly more important: you do not have to carry home, rinse, cook down, strain, or dispose of fish parts and pieces you do not want to even see, much less eat.
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In addition to my Boozy Fish Stew, I am giving you a little happy St Patrick’s Day lagniappe: a stand alone recipe that turns out a good biscuit in no time flat. It is from my friend and second-mother, Chickie, who happens to be 91, though you would never believe it and good luck keeping up with her. She is salt of the Earth. Spreading joy and friendship wherever she goes, she adds sweetness and richness to my life in more ways that I can count, and I simply do not know what I would do without her. She is spending the week with me and taught me how to make these biscuits just last night.
They are called Easy Biscuits, and we added chives to our last batch to give them a bit of green for St Patrick’s Day. We nearly ate them all before trying out all the ways we imagined serving them, like with green mint jelly, but they are hard to beat plain.
A quick mix and ten minutes in the oven — you will never make an easier biscuit.
Fresh seafood mix of your choosing — I include the following:
- 1 pound scallops
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, optional to leave tails intact
- 3 pound fish fillets, 2 to 3 different types, local and fresh
- (Oysters, lobster tails, crabs, mussels, clams, etc optional)
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large sweet onion, chopped into small dice
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, small diced
4 mixed color bell peppers, small diced
5 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves (not ground), or several sprigs of fresh
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bottle clam juice
1 can clams with juice
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/8 cup sherry (or more)
1/8 cup bourbon (or more)
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon (or a nice pinch) saffron, optional but recommended
Freshly chopped parsley, optional
Salt, pepper and cayenne for serving
- Rinse and pat dry seafood and refrigerate until needed. Cut fish into chunks.
- In a large pot over low heat, add 3 tablespoons butter and onion. Cover to sweat until very soft, then remove lid and cook slow until very well done and just beginning to brown.
- Add shallots, celery and peppers and a pinch of salt, cook until softened, then add garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
- Add thyme, garlic powder, clams, clam juice, tomatoes, tomato paste, another pinch of salt and 1/2 cup water to thin (may require more later) and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat, cover partially.
- If using, place saffron threads in sherry or bourbon to soften while the stew simmers, about 20 minutes.
- Taste for seasonings, especially salt, then add sherry, saffron and bourbon.
- Next, add thickest pieces of seafood, saving shrimp for last as they need the least amount of cook time. Bring back to a low boil, then reduce back to a simmer.
- Add shrimp and continue cooking until they are pink and curled. Remove from heat, stir in last bit of butter, remove bay leaf, fresh thyme stems (if used) and allow to rest before serving.
- Serve over rice with an optional sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley and French bread to soak up the extra juices.
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Gently mix the two ingredients together, knead briefly and flatten out to about 1/2” thickness on a floured surface.
- Use a floured small glass or biscuit cutter to make about 5 biscuits, or more, according to size desired.
- Bake 10 minutes.
Cook’s Notes
If you do not have self-rising flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup of AP flour.
If you make these gluten-free, pat dough out thinner (about 1/4”) and increase the bake time until golden on the bottom. They will not rise as well, but are still delicious.
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