Fish and shellfish stew
Add a few local ingredients such as wild fennel, thyme, basil, Pernod and the like and, over many generations, the famous fish stews of the world are born: French bouillabaisse, Italian cacciucco, American cioppino, Greek kakavia, Tunisian marka and Spanish suquillo. Of course, none of these dishes has a precise recipe, as they are more about a style of cooking in which the fish and shellfish change according to availability.
Ingredients
500g of fish fillets
500g of shellfish
2 blue swimmer crabs
2 medium-sized calamari
2 octopii
6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 leek or onion
3 garlic cloves
3 chopped tomatoes
1 litre of fish and shellfish stock (see recipe below) or water
1 pinch of saffron threads and simmer
salt and pepper
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
Method
Cut 500g of fish fillets into bite-size pieces. Scrub 500g of shellfish and chop 2 blue swimmer crabs into quarters. Clean 2 medium-sized calamari and cut them into bite-size tiles. Clean 2 octopuses and chop into single or double legs.
Heat 6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, add a chopped leek or onion and 3 chopped garlic cloves, frying gently to soften. Add 3 chopped tomatoes, a litre of fish and shellfish stock (see Steve Manfredi's recipe for fish stock on cuisine.com.au) or water. Add a pinch of saffron threads and simmer for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the seafood, a little at a time and poach gently for 5-6 min, or until the fish is cooked and the mussels and clams have opened. Mix in half a cup of chopped parsley.
Serve with toasted bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.
Sign up
