North Carolina Fish Stew: A Pot Worth Gathering Around
Field to Table & Fireside
In eastern North Carolina, fish stew is as much a gathering as it is a meal. A pot goes on, someone keeps an eye on the fire, and people find reasons to stay close until supper is ready.
The ingredients are plain: fish, potatoes, onions, bacon, tomatoes, and eggs. The surprise, for anyone new to the dish, is the eggs. They cook whole in the broth and make each bowl feel like a complete meal. There are different ways to make fish stew across eastern North Carolina, including versions with and without tomato. This is a red, home-kitchen version meant to serve a few friends or family around the table.
A home-kitchen fish stew
Serves 6
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, sliced
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
1 can (14–15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups water or unsalted fish stock, plus more if needed
2 pounds firm, mild fish, cut into large pieces
6 eggs
Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
White bread or cornbread, for serving
1. Start with the bacon. Cook it in a large, heavy pot until it begins to crisp. Lift out the bacon and set it aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
2. Build the broth. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the crushed tomatoes, potatoes, and water or stock. Season lightly with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer.
3. Cook the potatoes. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender. Add a little more liquid if needed; the potatoes should sit in plenty of broth.
4. Add the fish. Lay the pieces over the potatoes. Cover the pot and simmer gently until the fish is almost cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes depending on thickness. Avoid vigorous stirring, which will break it apart.
5. Cook the eggs. Crack each egg into a small cup, then slip it into an open spot in the simmering broth. Cover and cook until the whites and yolks are set, about 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon the bacon back over the pot and taste the broth for seasoning.
Ladle each serving carefully so everyone gets fish, potatoes, onion, broth, and an egg. Put bread on the table for the broth that remains in the bowl.
A fish stew rewards patience more than precision. Keep the heat low enough to protect the fish, give the eggs room to cook, and resist the urge to keep stirring. If you’re using a legal, properly handled catch, it offers one more way to appreciate the fish after the trip is over.
Eastern Carolina fish stew has long been made in pots much bigger than this one, for church gatherings and community meals. A six-serving recipe cannot reproduce the crowd around a cast-iron cauldron. It can, however, give a few people a reason to pull up chairs, pass the bread, and linger over supper.
How does your family make fish stew: red broth or clear, eggs or no eggs?
