Vietnamese Fisherman's Stew

Name: Vietnamese Fisherman's Stew
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 small onions, thinly sliced; 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger; 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin diagonal slices; 2 tablespoons curry powder; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons salt; 2/3 cup mirin or white wine; 1 14-ounce can coconut milk; 1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes (red or Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces; 6 bunches baby bok choy, washed and trimmed; 1 1/2 pounds white fish (hake, catfish, cod, or tilapia), cut into 8 pieces; 2 limes: 1 juiced, 1 quartered

Recipe GLPRf6ca417bc72d46

Vietnamese

Soup

60 min

336 cal

Servings: 6

Stovetop

A fragrant and warming Vietnamese-inspired fish stew featuring tender white fish, potatoes, and baby bok choy in a creamy coconut-curry broth. This seafood dish combines aromatic ginger, garlic, and curry spices with the richness of coconut milk and brightened with fresh lime juice.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 small onions, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin diagonal slices

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup mirin or white wine

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes (red or Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

6 bunches baby bok choy, washed and trimmed

1 1/2 pounds white fish (hake, catfish, cod, or tilapia), cut into 8 pieces

2 limes: 1 juiced, 1 quartered

Directions

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the sliced garlic and minced ginger. Cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Add the carrot slices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Sprinkle the curry powder, cayenne pepper, and salt over the vegetables. Stir well to coat everything evenly and toast the spices for about 1 minute.
Pour in the mirin or white wine, scraping up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 1 minute to allow the alcohol to cook off.
Add the coconut milk and stir to combine thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Add the potato pieces to the broth. Maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender when pierced with a fork.
Add the trimmed bok choy bunches to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are beginning to soften.
Gently place the fish pieces into the simmering broth, being careful not to break them apart. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145°F and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Remove the pot from heat. Squeeze the juice from 1 lime into the stew and stir gently to distribute. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Ladle the stew into bowls and serve hot, garnishing each portion with lime quarters for guests to squeeze over their bowls according to taste.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This stew lands at a solid midpoint for Charlotte kitchens. Ingredient availability is nearly perfect—all the base vegetables, fish, and coconut milk stock Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Walmart shelves year-round, with bok choy reliably at Publix and ALDI. The 60-minute estimate is honest for most home cooks, though the curry powder and mirin together push the shopping list to either a specialty section or a second stop (mirin lives at Harris Teeter's Asian shelf or requires ALDI). At roughly $10–12 per serving when using mid-range white fish fillets, this lands comfortably above weeknight-budget territory. The stew reheats well and feeds six generously, making it a weeknight winner for households with time and budget to absorb one specialty ingredient stop.