Fisherman's Stew -

Fisherman's Stew

Ingredients

500g/1¼lb mussels
3 onions
2 garlic cloves, sliced
300ml/½ pint/1¼ cups fish stock
12 scallops
450g/1lb cod fillet
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 large potato, about 200g/7oz
Few sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
1 red and 1 green (bell) pepper
120ml/4fl oz/½ cup dry white wine
250ml/8fl oz/1 cup crème fraîche
275g/10oz raw peeled prawns (shrimp)
75g/3oz/¾ cup grated mature Cheddar cheese
Salt and ground black pepper
Fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

Details

Serves: 6

Method

1. Clean the mussels, removing any beards. Discard any that stay open when tapped. Rinse in cold water.

2. Pour water into a large, frying pan to 2.5cm/1in. Chop an onion and add it to the pan, with the garlic. Bring to the boil, add the mussels and cover.

3. Cook the mussels for 5-6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove them as they open, discarding any that remain shut. Remove the mussels from their shells and set them aside.

4. Strain the cooking liquid from the mussels through a muslin- (cheese­cloth-) lined sieve (strainer) to remove any sand. Make up the liquid with fish stock to 300ml/½ pint/1¼ cups.

5. If you have bought scallops in their shells, open them: hold a scallop shell in the palm of your hand, with the flat side uppermost. Insert the blade of a knife close to the hinge that joins the shells and prise apart. Run the blade of the knife across the inside of the flat shell to cut away the scallop. Only the white adductor muscle and the orange coral are eaten, so pull away and discard all other parts. Rinse the scallops under cold running water to remove any grit or sand, then put them in a bowl and set them aside.

6. Cut the cod into large cubes and put it in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

7. Cut the remaining onions into small wedges. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion wedges for 2-3 minutes. Slice the potato about 1cm/½in thick and add to the pan, with the fresh chopped thyme. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the potato has softened.

8. Core the peppers, remove the cores and seeds, then dice the flesh. Add to the onion and potato mixture and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the mixed mussel and fish stock, with the wine and crème fraîche.

9. Bring to just below boiling point, then add the cod and scallops. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the prawns. Simmer for a further 3-4 minutes more, until all the seafood is cooked. Stir in the mussels and warm through for 1-2 minutes. Season the sauce if necessary. Spoon into bowls, garnish with the thyme sprigs and sprinkle with the cheese. Crusty bread is an ideal accompaniment.

Energy 502Kcal/2096kj; Protein 45.8g; Carbohydrate 16.1g, of which sugars 7g; Fat 27g, of which saturates 15g; Cholesterol 220mg; Calcium 249mg; Fibre 2.2g; Sodium 480mg

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