There’s a real nip in the air in Schenectady, and that means it’s time to get out the crock pot.

There’s nothing as satisfying as a slow-cooked meal waiting for you when you come home on a crisp fall or winter night.

My daughter Denise tipped me to a slew of crock pot recipes collected by a group of 50 friends. One of those recipes — for Bouillabaise, the classic French fish stew — got my attention. It seems like a really easy way to make this dish, a wonderful melange of flavors, aromas and textures.

Bouillabaise in a Crock Pot

1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs of celery with leaves, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups clam juice
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 large tomatoes diced (you could use canned tomatoes)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tbsp. paprika
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pinch saffron
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 lb. white fish in pieces (like halibut or sea bass)
1 lb. lobster tails
1 lb. crabmeat
1 lb of shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 doz. clams, mussels or scallops

Directions

Place all ingredients, except the seafood and parsley, in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours (or on high 2 to 4 hours). Add the seafood. (If you use clams and mussels, leave them in their shells, but scrub the shells first and remove the mussels’ beards.) Cover and cook on high 1 to 3 hours. Taste for seasoning before serving. Serve the Bouillabaise in big, heated bowls. Garnish it with the fresh parsley. Serve with crusty French or sour dough bread. You can take the dish over the top with a splash or two of Pernod toward the end of its cooking time.

What warms your heart and belly on a chilly night? E-mail us at foodforum@dailygazette.net.