Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 12 onions, finely chopped
- 3 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 star anise
- 1 small red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional)
- pinch of saffron
- 1 glass of white wine
- 600g (1lb 5oz) ripe tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped, or 1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
- 750ml (26fl oz) fish stock or water
- 750g (1lb 10oz) pollack fillets
- 2 small squid, sliced into rounds
- 300g (10½ oz) mussels, cleaned
- 1 squeeze of lemon juice
- fennel fronds and flat-leaf parsley leaves, for sprinkling
- salt and black pepper
Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium–low heat. Add the chopped fennel, and the garlic, onion and celery and cook gently, stirring often, for 12–15 minutes, until the onion is nice and soft. Add the fennel seeds, paprika, star anise, chilli (if using) and saffron, stir again, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the white wine, bring to the boil over a high heat, then add in the chopped tomatoes and their juice, and bring back to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes, then pour in the fish stock or water. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the fish. Place the fillets on a board and use a sharp knife to cut the fish flesh away from the skin. Cut the flesh into large pieces of about 3–4cm (11⁄4–11⁄2in) each. Place the pieces in a bowl with the squid rounds and season with salt and pepper.
Drop the mussels into the simmering soup. Cover the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes. Uncover, give the pan a swirl, then add the fish and squid and turn them gently through the sauce. Cover again and cook for another 3–4 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked and all the mussels are open. Discard any mussels that haven’t opened up.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as required. Stir in the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, then serve in bowls with a sprinkling of fennel fronds and parsley, and hunks of good-quality bread on the side.
