One pot fish stew with croutons

This is a hearty dish, packed full of fish and flavour. It’s inspired by the kind of fisherman’s stew served on the beach after a day out. Serve it up with some lovely sourdough toasts and homemade saffron mayo.

One pot fish stew with croutons. Credit: Robin Murray / Mark Moriarty: Off Duty Chef

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 1 red capsicum (pepper), diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• 3 tsp paprika
• 1 sprig tarragon
• 200 ml white wine
• 1 litre chicken/fish stock
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp saffron
• 2 strips orange zest
• 500 g peeled and quartered potatoes
• Handful mussels
• Handful prawns, peeled
• Handful white fish, skinned and boned
• 1 baguette
• Olive oil, to drizzle

Mayonnaise

• 50 g cooked potato (from stew)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Pinch of saffron, or to taste
• 3 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 egg yolk
• 200 ml olive oil

Instructions

1. Heat a large heavy-based saucepan. Add fennel, cook slowly without colouring, then add the diced capsicum (pepper), onion and garlic and cook softly.
2. Increase the heat and add the tomato paste, paprika and tarragon.
3. Next add the white wine and reduce to a glaze, then add the stock and chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the saffron, orange zest and potatoes and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
4. Meanwhile, heat oven to 180°C. Slice the baguette into thin slices and drizzle with olive oil, cook in the oven at 180c for 15 minutes until golden brown.
5. Once potato is soft, adjust the seasoning and drop in the mussels, prawns and white fish. Simmer for 5 minutes until the fish is cooked and the mussels have opened.
6. To make the mayonnaise, scoop out some cooked potato from the stew and place in a bowl, crush with a fork and season with crushed garlic, saffron and some white wine vinegar. Add the egg yolk and whisk in the olive oil until a thick emulsion forms.
7. Serve the stew in bowls, topped with the croutons and mayonnaise.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.