Simple Seafood Cioppino

Summer is the perfect time to trial new recipes. The days are longer, and somehow, the seafood seems fresher, so giving a fishy new recipe a whirl sound like a great Summer afternoon to me.

This simple cioppino is a delicious take on a classic seafood stew. Yielding plenty to serve at an intimate dinner party, you simply must give this one a go.

Serves 5.

Ingredients

• 1 bulb of fennel, finely diced (or run through a food processor)
• 1 small onion, finely diced onion
• A few garlic cloves, smashed and roughly diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1L Fish Stock
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 250g of firm fish (I like halibut, or salmon)
• 500g mussels in shell
• 500g large prawns, raw, peeled and de-veined, (leave a handful unpeeled for decoration)
• Chilli flakes, if you desire
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parsley, to garnish
• 1 medium sized lemon
• bread, if you desire

Method

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium to high heat. Add fennel, and stir. Add onion. Turn heat down to medium and saute both until tender. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
2. Add garlic, sauté stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and golden.
3. Add tomato paste. Turn heat up to high, constantly stirring, until paste darkens, this will take approximately 2 minutes.
4. Add white wine and turn heat to medium-high, stirring until it has reduced.
5. Add fish stock, tomatoes, and fish sauce and bring to a simmer.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and chilli flakes. Squeeze half the lemon. Taste. You want the broth to taste rich and flavoursome.
7. Add fish, simmer for 2 minutes. Add prawns, simmer for 2 minutes. Add mussels.
   NOTE: The larger the prawns, mussels or fish pieces, the longer they take to cook, so look at all your seafood ingredients and determine which will take the longest to cook, putting them in first.
8. Taste, adjust salt and lemon to your preferences.
9. Divide among bowls and Finish with the fresh parsley and unpeeled prawns.

Enjoy!