Fish stew with tomato and fennel

Here’s a light dish to remind us that spring is arriving and, being a fish dish, is just so quick to cook.

All sorts of fish can be used but I’d avoid the oily ones for this such as mackerel. So salmon, monkfish, ling, gurnard and so on; fish that can hold together when simmered a little. Just make sure it’s all boned and skinned. Also, any shellfish is great such as mussels, cockles, prawns and crab claws. Just be careful not to overcook shellfish and if it’s already cooked, just add it at the end for 30 seconds or so to heat through.

The main flavouring is bulb fennel which, similarly to dill with its light aniseed taste, is a perfect complement to fish.

Serves two
300g mixed fish – boned and skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
One bulb of fennel – roughly chopped
One onion – peeled and chopped
One clove of garlic – peeled and crushed
One tin of tomatoes
Extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
A little chopped parsley to garnish

Place a tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan and gently sweat half of the fennel along with the onion. After a few minutes, add the garlic and continue until the vegetables are soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes along with their juice and simmer for ten minutes or so. Remove from the heat and blend in a liquidiser or food processor or with a stick blender and then, if you wish, pass through a sieve.

While the vegetables are sweating, heat another pan, add a little oil and sauté the other half of the fennel until it’s a little coloured. Remove from the pan and add to the blended tomato mixture. Bring this to the boil, reduce to a simmer and add the fish for three or four minutes until cooked, adding any cooked shellfish at the end. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Pour into warmed serving bowls, scatter over a little chopped parsley and a sprinkling of oil. Great served with crusty bread. Don’t try to tell me that cooking’s not easy.