Skinner's Stew inspired by The Simpsons

January 9, 2018 Andrew Rea

While Seymour Skinner's tour in Vietnam sounds a bit cushy, there's no doubt that he's dutifully served our country - more so by even trying to get Bart Simpson through middle school. As the cold weather makes its final offense, indulge in the 4-rice 2-seafood stew of Skinner's shellshocked memory - or cram some neon-colored cheese into a sandwich and pretend you're Ralph Wiggum.

Cook 1 cup of each type of rice (brown, red, jasmine, and green jade).
Place all 4 rices in a casserole side by side covered with tin foil in a 200° oven -- keeping everything warm while we make the stew.
Shell and devein some prawns but do not throw away your prawn shells! We are going to use them for the broth.
Add some scallions to a saucepan that has oil preheated over medium high heat. Add our prawn shells and sauté until the shells start to show some color, at which point deglaze the pan with a few glugs of white wine and 1-2 cups of water.
Let simmer for about 45 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Add minced garlic, minced ginger, minced lemongrass, minced shallot, some trimmed green beans and some chopped shiitake mushrooms to a saucepan preheated with olive oil and sauté until fragrant. Deglaze with some of the broth, and add some lime leaves (or 1 fresh squeezed lime). Also add 2 Tbsp of green curry paste and sauté, letting all the flavors get to know each other. Then add bamboo shoots, some sliced red bell pepper, fish sauce, and 2-3 cups of shellfish broth.
Let cook for a minute, then add 1 can of coconut milk along with some Thai basil or regular basil.
Add in monk fish and prawns, and give a good stir.
Add in ground cardamom, cayenne pepper and a pinch of brown sugar. Cover and poach for 5-10 minutes, or until everything is cooked through.
Remove rice from the oven and in a small bowl add one scoop of each rice, followed by your stew.
Eat and enjoy!