Hearty Fish Stew
This recipe is based on my favourite dish from The Fish People Cafe. Actually it’s my favourite thing in the world to eat and if I could move in with the chef that created it, I’d leave my husband in an instant!! Well maybe not, he’s pretty fantastic too, he just doesn’t cook.
I have to say that my recipe doesn’t even begin to reach the dizzy heights of gorgeousness that is the original dish but when you’re favourite restaurant isn’t open you have to get inventive.
I also love to make simple, nutritious and tasty, one pot dishes. You’ve probably realised that from the other recipes on here. I have a much loved Le Creuset cast iron pot which cost a fortune when I bought it over 20 years ago, but that pot gets used at least 2 or 3 times a week (I also use it as a dutch oven when baking sourdough bread every week)
You can use any fish you fancy, I tend to use salmon, prawns, haddock, but mussels, scallops, sebass, are delicious in it too.
Fish is a fabulous source of lean protein and if you include oily fish such as salmon or seabass, you will be getting some lovely omega 3’s. These essential fatty acids are just that, essential for our health. They are an integral part of cell membranes, they play a role in making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls and regulating inflammation. We cant make these neccessary fatty acids therfore it's essential we provide them through the foods we eat. They can help prevent the development of heart disease and stroke, they are involved in the production of anti-inflammatory mediators and as such can be helpful for those with inflammatory conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and eczema. They are believed to play a protective role in cancer development and they are crucial for brain development and health, supporting depression, and reducing the risk of developing conditions such as Alzheimers.
If you don’t include much fish in your diet try giving this easy recipe a go. I always serve it with plenty of vegetables, broccoli and green beans are favourites and some sourdough bread to mod up all the sauce.
PS don’t be tempted to miss out the orange rind, its absolutely crucial and gives a lovely exoticness to this dish.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 fennel bulbs thinly sliced
1 red pepper sliced
50ml of dry white wine
150ml fish or vegetable stock
1x 400g can of tomatoes
1tsp thyme
Fish of your choice
2tbsp finely chopped parsley
Grated rind of one orange
Method
Heat in pan on a medium heat and add onion and garlic and cook gently, stirring occasionally for 3-5 mins to soften. Add fennel and red pepper and cook fro a further 2 mins.
Stir in wine and after 2 mins add stock, tomatoes and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cover with lid and bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook for 20 mins.
While sauce is cooking cut fish into largish pieces. After 20 mins add fish to sauce, depending on what your using it can take 5-10 mins for fish to cook through.
Just before serving stir through parsley, be careful not to break the fish up too much. Spoon into serving bowls and sprinkle generously with the orange rind.