Fish Stew
Lenny Carr-Roberts is back with this flavoursome Fish Stew. It is packed with sea bass, monkfish, mussels, lobster and white fish and is a simplified version of bouillabaisse that you can easily make at home!
Ingredients
- 1 small onion or 3 banana shallots
- 1 fennel bulb large chopped
- 1 celery stick chopped
- 1 small leek chopped
- 2 small carrots chopped
- 2 red peppers chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 50 ml dry vermouth
- 25 ml Pernod/pastis
- 500ml fish stock
- Small bunch parsley chopped
- 2 tins of good quality tomatoes
- Pinch of saffron
- Salt & black pepper
- 40g dried porcini mushrooms
- 100ml Olive oil
- 200g small waxy potatoes peeled
- 50g salted butter
- 50g small capers
- 1 lemon
For the fish
- 125ml dry white wine
- 50 ml olive oil
- 2 small size sea bass fillet
- 1 small monkfish tail
- 500g clams/mussels
- 1 small cooked lobster de-shelled
- 200g of any other white fish
Method
The fish stew base can be made two days in advance, and I would highly recommend this as the flavours intensify. It can also be frozen in batches.
- Put the dried mushrooms into 150ml of boiling water for at least 15 minutes to re-hydrate.
- Chop all the vegetables, medium sized, not that important as we are going the blend the sauce.
- In a heavy based pan on a medium-high heat, add the olive oil, then once hot add the onions, leek, fennel, celery & carrot. Sweat off for at least 5-10 minutes with no colour.
- Then add the chopped tarragon, 2 of the garlic cloves chopped, turn the heat up, and add the pastis/Pernod and dry vermouth for 1 minute. This will deglaze the pan and give it a scrape with a wooden spoon.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, the soaking porcini mushrooms and it’s liquid, add the fish stock and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to books and simmer for 20 mins to reduce by half. Once reduced, allow to cool for 5 minutes then blend with a stick blender or in a blender. The sauce should have the consistency of single cream and not be too thick. You can always add a little more fish stock if required to thin it out. It will keep in the fridge for two days or freezer for 1 month.
- Chop the remaining two garlic cloves and the parsley, add together and mix in the capers. Put to one side for garnishing the stew
- In a medium pan boil the potatoes in water with the saffron and a pinch of salt for 10 mins or until tender.
- Now for the fish. Is shallow large pan with a fitting lid, add the olive oil, then add the fish, skin side down, the clams/mussels and the white wine, put the lid on and cook, giving a little shake now and again until the mussels/clams have opened, discard any that don’t.
- Now add the hot fish stew base along with the cooked lobster, squeeze of lemon, put the lid back on and cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and add a knob of butter along with the chopped garlic, parsley and caper mix. Give it a stir.
- Ladle into warm bowls and place 3-5 butter potatoes on top. Drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion or 3 banana shallots
- 1 fennel bulb large chopped
- 1 celery stick chopped
- 1 small leek chopped
- 2 small carrots chopped
- 2 red peppers chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 50 ml dry vermouth
- 25 ml Pernod/pastis
- 500ml fish stock
- Small bunch parsley chopped
- 2 tins of good quality tomatoes
- Pinch of saffron
- Salt & black pepper
- 40g dried porcini mushrooms
- 100ml Olive oil
- 200g small waxy potatoes peeled
- 50g salted butter
- 50g small capers
- 1 lemon
For the fish
- 125ml dry white wine
- 50 ml olive oil
- 2 small size sea bass fillet
- 1 small monkfish tail
- 500g clams/mussels
- 1 small cooked lobster de-shelled
- 200g of any other white fish
Method
The fish stew base can be made two days in advance, and I would highly recommend this as the flavours intensify. It can also be frozen in batches.
- Put the dried mushrooms into 150ml of boiling water for at least 15 minutes to re-hydrate.
- Chop all the vegetables, medium sized, not that important as we are going the blend the sauce.
- In a heavy based pan on a medium-high heat, add the olive oil, then once hot add the onions, leek, fennel, celery & carrot. Sweat off for at least 5-10 minutes with no colour.
- Then add the chopped tarragon, 2 of the garlic cloves chopped, turn the heat up, and add the pastis/Pernod and dry vermouth for 1 minute. This will deglaze the pan and give it a scrape with a wooden spoon.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, the soaking porcini mushrooms and it’s liquid, add the fish stock and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to books and simmer for 20 mins to reduce by half. Once reduced, allow to cool for 5 minutes then blend with a stick blender or in a blender. The sauce should have the consistency of single cream and not be too thick. You can always add a little more fish stock if required to thin it out. It will keep in the fridge for two days or freezer for 1 month.
- Chop the remaining two garlic cloves and the parsley, add together and mix in the capers. Put to one side for garnishing the stew
- In a medium pan boil the potatoes in water with the saffron and a pinch of salt for 10 mins or until tender.
- Now for the fish. Is shallow large pan with a fitting lid, add the olive oil, then add the fish, skin side down, the clams/mussels and the white wine, put the lid on and cook, giving a little shake now and again until the mussels/clams have opened, discard any that don’t.
- Now add the hot fish stew base along with the cooked lobster, squeeze of lemon, put the lid back on and cook on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and add a knob of butter along with the chopped garlic, parsley and caper mix. Give it a stir.
- Ladle into warm bowls and place 3-5 butter potatoes on top. Drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil.
