Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions peeled and finely chopped
- 3 sticks of celery finely chopped
- 1 large bulb of fennel finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tsp of fennel seeds
- 1 star anise
- 2 tsp of paprika
- 1 pinch of saffron
- 1 small red chilli seeds removed and thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 glass of white wine
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- About 300g of fresh mussels
- 2 medium squid cleaned and sliced into rounds
- 2 red mullet or other white fish for grilling
- 500ml of fish stock or water
- 2 Tbls of Olive oil
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion, fennel 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 and saffron and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the white wine, bring to the boil then throw in the chopped tomatoes and their juice, and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, then pour in the fish stock or water.
Simmer for a further 20 minutes. Before adding the mussels, give them a good clean in cold running water, discard any that are damaged or open, then drop them into the simmering stew. along with the rounds of squid.
Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Uncover, give the pan a shake, cover and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, or until the squid is just cooked and all the mussels are open. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning as required. Serve with good bread and a trickle of your best Olive oil.
If you intend to serve the stew with a whole grilled fish like I do here, then now is the time to cook them and bring them to the table with the stew.
