Fish Stew with Rouille
Ingredients
6 large Prawns
3 tbs Olive Oil
150ml Dry White Wine
200ml Fish Stock
1 small finely diced Fennel
1 small finely diced Onion
3 cloves Chopped Garlic
1 large Potatoes
1 Orange
1 Star Anise
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 tsp Harissa Spice
2 tbs Tomato Puree
400g Chopped Tomatoes
Handful Mussels
200g White Fish
2 Thyme
to serve Bread
Instructions
1- Twist the heads from the prawns, then peel away the legs and shells, but leave the tails intact.
2- Devein each prawn.
3- Fry the shells in 1 tbsp oil for 5 mins, until dark pink and golden in patches.
4- Add the wine, boil down by two thirds, then pour in the stock.
5- Strain into a jug, discarding the shells.
6- Heat the rest of the oil in a deep frying pan or casserole.
7- Add the fennel, onion and garlic, season, then cover and gently cook for 10 mins until softened.
8- Meanwhile, peel the potato and cut into 2cm-ish chunks.
9- Put into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins until almost tender.
10- Drain in a colander.
11- Peel a strip of zest from the orange.
12- Put the zest, star anise, bay and ½ tsp harissa into the pan.
13- Fry gently, uncovered, for 5-10 mins, until the vegetables are soft, sweet and golden.
14- Stir in the tomato purée, cook for 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and stock.
15- Simmer for 10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly.
16- Season to taste.
17- The sauce can be made ahead, then reheated later in the day.
18- Meantime, scrub the mussels or clams and pull away any stringy beards.
19- Any that are open should be tapped sharply on the worktop – if they don’t close after a few seconds, discard them.
20- Reheat the sauce if necessary, then stir the potato, chunks of fish and prawns very gently into the stew.
21- Bring back to the boil, then cover and gently simmer for 3 mins.
22- Scatter the mussels or clams over the stew, then cover and cook for 2 mins more or until the shells have opened wide.
23- Discard any that remain closed.
24- The chunks of fish should flake easily and the prawns should be pink through.
25- Scatter with the thyme leaves.
26- To make the quick rouille, stir the rest of the harissa through the mayonnaise.
27- Serve the stew in bowls, topped with spoonfuls of rouille, which will melt into the sauce and enrich it.
28- Have some good bread ready, as you’ll definitely want to mop up the juices.