Ingredients

Seafood Stew

• 4 tbsp Spanish olive oil
• 300g each of two varieties of firm fish: monkfish, halibut, swordfish, hake, haddock, cod. Cut into 2-3cm chunks
• 18 large prawns, shell on
• 200g small squid, cleaned and sliced into rings, leaving small tentacles whole or slicing large ones into serving size
• 400g mussels
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, finely diced
• 3 tbsp Spanish or French Brandy
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp pimenton picante (smoked paprika)
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• pinch saffron, ground
• 300ml white wine
• 300ml fish stock
• 2 tbps flat leaf parsley finely chopped

To Serve

• 1 tbps flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Tomato Bread or Toasted slices of Baguette or similar bread with garlic and olive oil

Method

1. Seafood: Heat the olive oil in a deep pan over a moderate heat. Cook all the seafood except the mussels in batches for 1-2 minutes so that they are just cooked. Remove the seafood from the heat and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan adding a little extra oil if it is dry and cook the onion for 3-5 minutes until is soft and slightly golden brown. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the pan and cook for a further minute.
3. Pour the brandy in the pan and carefully ignite it, leave it until the flames have died down. Stir in the smoked paprika, saffron, chilli flakes, bay leaves, white wine and fish stock, bring the mixture to a steady simmer and leave it to reduce down for 8-10 minutes.
4. Rinse the mussels, scrub them and remove their beards, any that remain open after giving them a sharp tap discard. Add the mussels to the stew, along with the rest of the seafood and parsley, stirring them in gently. Leave them to cook for around 5 minutes until the mussels have opened. Any mussels that don't open discard.
5. To Serve: Distribute the stew among 6-8 bowls, sprinkle over a little parsley. Accompany the stew with Tomato Bread (see recipe) or toasted slices of baguette or similar bread with garlic and olive oil.