Recipe: Eastern North Carolina Fish Stew in the Slow Cooker

"But they're not trashy," she tells me. "They're delicious! And to help with that pervasive 'fear of fish,' I offer detailed cooking instructions for all the basic techniques."

"Fish stew that includes poached eggs is an eastern North Carolina tradition, which cooks concoct from old recipe cards or simply from memory," she writes. "After preparing it the usual way, by simmering on the stove, I thought it might work well in a slow cooker—and it did, with a few adjustments. Add the fish near the end of the cooking time to prevent overcooking. I poached the eggs separately, but if your slow cooker has a simmer function, you could try poaching the eggs in the broth, as is traditional."

Makes 6 servings

1 1⁄2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch slices

1 large white or yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 medium cloves garlic, sliced

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

1⁄4 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 slices bacon

1 1⁄2 pounds monkfish fillets, cut into 6 pieces

6 eggs

Lightly spray the bottom of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of the potatoes, then half of the onions, half of the garlic, half of the salt, and half of the red pepper. Repeat the layers with the remaining vegetables and seasonings.

Whisk the tomato paste into 2 cups of warm water until it dissolves, then pour over the layers. Add enough water to cover the layers, about 8 cups. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours.

Fry the bacon until crispy, drain, and crumble. Reserve the bacon grease.

After 3 hours, pour 1 tablespoon of warm bacon grease into the stew, then nestle the fish gently into the liquid until completely covered. Cover and cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the fish is flaky and cooked through. Thicker fillets will take more time than thinner fillets.

Poach the eggs in a pot of simmering water.

To serve, ladle the stew into bowls, including 1 piece of fish per serving, then add 1 poached egg. Top with crumbled bacon.