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Fish stew
INGREDIENTS
20g dried porcini mushrooms
500g sea bass fillets
200g monkfish fillet
200g John Dory fillets
1 cooked lobster, about 500g
300g fresh clams (palourde)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 ¼ garlic cloves, 2 of them sliced and ¼ clove finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes or 700ml tomato passata
500ml fresh fish stock
200g potatoes such as Roseval, peeled
Pinch of saffron threads
100ml white wine
Leaves from a small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Put the porcini to soak in 100ml of hot water until softened. rain the mushrooms (reserving the soaking liquid) and roughly chop.
While the porcini are soaking, prepare the seafood. Cut all the fish fillets into 3cm pieces. Remove the head from the lobster and pull off the claws; crack the claws. Cut the tail lengthways in half and then across in half. Put the clams in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, shaking the colander vigorously; discard any clams that remain open. Set the seafood aside in a cool place.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onion, celery, carrots and fennel bulb with the sliced garlic and fennel seeds until softened. Add the chopped porcini with their soaking liquid (leave any sediment behind in the bowl) and the tomatoes or passata. Cook for about 20 minutes to reduce by half, stirring occasionally. Add the fish stock and cook for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into thumb-sized pieces. Put them in a pan of salted water with the saffron and bring to the boil; drain and reserve.
Remove the tomato-fish broth from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Purée in the pan with a stick blender (or blitz in a food processor). Keep hot.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, shallow pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the fish and clams along with the white wine. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Jiggle the pan to help open the clams (if any are not open after 1 minute, throw them away). Add the smooth tomato-fish broth and saffron potatoes. Cover with the lid again and bring to the boil, then add the quartered lobster tail and claws. Simmer for a few minutes.
Mix together the parsley and finely chopped garlic. Stir into the stew and heat, covered, for 1 minute. Serve in large bowls.
Theo Randall at the InterContinental
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7318 8747
Email: TheoRandall.Reception@ihg.com
InterContinental London Park Lane - One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, W1J 7QY London