Provençal Fish Stew with Rouille

Name: Provençal Fish Stew with Rouille
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 6 large raw prawns; 3 tbsp olive oil; 150ml dry white wine; 200ml fish stock; 1 small fennel bulb, finely diced; 1 small onion, finely diced; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 large potato, cubed; Strip of orange zest; 1 whole star anise; 1 bay leaf; 1 1/2 tsp harissa paste; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 400g tinned chopped tomatoes; Handful of fresh mussels; 200g white fish, chopped; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; Crusty bread, to serve

Rich seafood stew simmering with aromatic fennel, white wine, prawns, and juicy mussels.

45 min serves 2 Medium Watch

Ingredients

6 large raw prawns180g

3 tbsp olive oil500ml

150ml dry white wine750ml

200ml fish stock8 cubes

1 small fennel bulb, finely diced1 pcs

1 small onion, finely diced1kg

3 garlic cloves, chopped3 pack

1 large potato, cubed2kg

Strip of orange zest1 pcs

1 whole star anise10g

1 bay leaf5g

1 1/2 tsp harissa paste90g

2 tbsp tomato purée200g

400g tinned chopped tomatoes400g

Handful of fresh mussels500g

200g white fish, chopped250g

2 sprigs fresh thyme20g

Crusty bread, to serve1 loaf

Method

Twist the heads from the prawns, then peel away the legs and shells, but leave the tails intact. Devein each prawn. Fry the shells in 1 tbsp oil for 5 mins, until dark pink and golden in patches. Add the wine, boil down by two thirds, then pour in the stock. Strain into a jug, discarding the shells.
Heat the rest of the oil in a deep frying pan or casserole. Add the fennel, onion and garlic, season, then cover and gently cook for 10 mins until softened. Meanwhile, peel the potato and cut into 2cm-ish chunks. Put into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins until almost tender. Drain in a colander.
Peel a strip of zest from the orange. Put the zest, star anise, bay and ½ tsp harissa into the pan. Fry gently, uncovered, for 5-10 mins, until the vegetables are soft, sweet and golden.
Stir in the tomato purée, cook for 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste. The sauce can be made ahead, then reheated later in the day. Meantime, scrub the mussels or clams and pull away any stringy beards. Any that are open should be tapped sharply on the worktop – if they don’t close after a few seconds, discard them.
Reheat the sauce if necessary, then stir the potato, chunks of fish and prawns very gently into the stew. Bring back to the boil, then cover and gently simmer for 3 mins. Scatter the mussels or clams over the stew, then cover and cook for 2 mins more or until the shells have opened wide. Discard any that remain closed. The chunks of fish should flake easily and the prawns should be pink through. Scatter with the thyme leaves.
To make the quick rouille, stir the rest of the harissa through the mayonnaise. Serve the stew in bowls, topped with spoonfuls of rouille, which will melt into the sauce and enrich it. Have some good bread ready, as you’ll definitely want to mop up the juices.

Cost to cook

serves 2 · I have the cupboard staples

Mostly estimated prices. Full-pack shop cost · about £12.00 of it is what this recipe actually uses.

Find it in store

Search the ingredients at your stores:

Tesco Asda

£30.02 est. · serves 2

Ingredients

6 large raw prawns180g

3 tbsp olive oil500ml

150ml dry white wine750ml

200ml fish stock8 cubes

1 small fennel bulb, finely diced1 pcs

1 small onion, finely diced1kg

3 garlic cloves, chopped3 pack

1 large potato, cubed2kg

Strip of orange zest1 pcs

1 whole star anise10g

1 bay leaf5g

1 1/2 tsp harissa paste90g

2 tbsp tomato purée200g

400g tinned chopped tomatoes400g

Handful of fresh mussels500g

200g white fish, chopped250g

2 sprigs fresh thyme20g

Crusty bread, to serve1 loaf

Method

Twist the heads from the prawns, then peel away the legs and shells, but leave the tails intact. Devein each prawn. Fry the shells in 1 tbsp oil for 5 mins, until dark pink and golden in patches. Add the wine, boil down by two thirds, then pour in the stock. Strain into a jug, discarding the shells.

Heat the rest of the oil in a deep frying pan or casserole. Add the fennel, onion and garlic, season, then cover and gently cook for 10 mins until softened. Meanwhile, peel the potato and cut into 2cm-ish chunks. Put into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins until almost tender. Drain in a colander.

Peel a strip of zest from the orange. Put the zest, star anise, bay and ½ tsp harissa into the pan. Fry gently, uncovered, for 5-10 mins, until the vegetables are soft, sweet and golden.

Stir in the tomato purée, cook for 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste. The sauce can be made ahead, then reheated later in the day. Meantime, scrub the mussels or clams and pull away any stringy beards. Any that are open should be tapped sharply on the worktop – if they don’t close after a few seconds, discard them.

Reheat the sauce if necessary, then stir the potato, chunks of fish and prawns very gently into the stew. Bring back to the boil, then cover and gently simmer for 3 mins. Scatter the mussels or clams over the stew, then cover and cook for 2 mins more or until the shells have opened wide. Discard any that remain closed. The chunks of fish should flake easily and the prawns should be pink through. Scatter with the thyme leaves.

To make the quick rouille, stir the rest of the harissa through the mayonnaise. Serve the stew in bowls, topped with spoonfuls of rouille, which will melt into the sauce and enrich it. Have some good bread ready, as you’ll definitely want to mop up the juices.