Seafood, fennel and potato stew

Name: Seafood, fennel and potato stew
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 18–20 black mussels; 6 baby octopus; 16 raw medium prawns; 1 large fennel bulb; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; ½ teaspoon paprika; 2 tablespoons Pernod or Ricard; ⅔ cup (170 ml/5½ fl oz) dry white wine; ¼ teaspoon saffron threads; ¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves; 500 g (1 lb) fish cutlets (eg. swordfish, kingfish, warehou, monkfish), cut into large chunks; 400 g (13 oz) baby new potatoes; fennel greens, to garnish

August 8, 2013

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6

A recipe from the Good Food collection.

Ingredients

18–20 black mussels
6 baby octopus
16 raw medium prawns
1 large fennel bulb
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons Pernod or Ricard
⅔ cup (170 ml/5½ fl oz) dry white wine
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
500 g (1 lb) fish cutlets (eg. swordfish, kingfish, warehou, monkfish), cut into large chunks
400 g (13 oz) baby new potatoes
fennel greens, to garnish

Method

Step 1
Scrub the mussels with a stiff brush and pull out the hairy beards. Discard any broken mussels, or open ones that don't close when tapped on the bench. Rinse well.
Step 2
Use a small sharp knife to cut off the octopus heads. Grasp the bodies and push the beaks out with your index finger; remove and discard. Slit the heads and remove the gut, then wash well.
Step 3
Peel the prawns and pull out the dark vein from each prawn back, starting at the head end.
Step 4
Trim off any discoloured parts and thinly slice the fennel. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the fennel, leek and garlic. Stir in the paprika, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the Pernod and wine and boil for 1 minute, or until reduced by a third.
Step 5
Add the mussels to the pan, cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally for 4–5 minutes, or until opened, discarding any unopened mussels. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Remove the mussel meat from the shells and set aside.
Step 6
Add the saffron and thyme to the pan and cook, stirring over medium heat, for 1–2 minutes. Season if necessary, with salt and pepper, then transfer to a large, flameproof casserole dish.
Step 7
Stir the octopus, prawns, fish and potatoes into the stew. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes and seafood are tender. Add the mussels, cover and heat through. Garnish with fennel greens and serve.