A fragrant Provençal fish stew — white fish, prawns and mussels in a saffron-orange tomato broth, served with a fiery harissa rouille and plenty of bread.
- 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
Tags:
Fish Seafood ShellfishVideo
Preparation
- Twist the heads from the prawns, peel away the legs and shells (leaving the tails on), and devein each. Fry the shells in 1 tbsp oil for 5 minutes until dark pink and golden in patches, add the wine and boil down by two thirds, then pour in the stock and strain into a jug, discarding the shells.
- Heat the rest of the oil in a deep frying pan or casserole, add the fennel, onion and garlic, season, cover, and gently cook for 10 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, peel and cut the potato into 2cm chunks, put in cold water, bring to the boil, and cook for 5 minutes until almost tender, then drain.
- Peel a strip of orange zest and add it to the pan with the star anise, bay and ½ tsp harissa. Fry gently, uncovered, for 5–10 minutes until the vegetables are soft, sweet and golden.
- Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the strained stock. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened, and season to taste. (The sauce can be made ahead.) Scrub the mussels and pull off any beards, discarding any that won't close when tapped.
- Reheat the sauce if needed, then gently stir in the potato, fish chunks and prawns. Bring back to the boil, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes. Scatter the mussels over, cover, and cook for 2 minutes more until the shells open wide, discarding any that stay shut. Scatter with the thyme leaves.
- For the quick rouille, stir the rest of the harissa through the mayonnaise. Serve the stew topped with spoonfuls of rouille, with good bread for mopping up the juices.
