The aroma of simmering seafood can transport you to the Mediterranean, writes Hugo Arnold
Everyone is sitting at the table. On the stove a large pan of golden broth is simmering away, the steam wafting the aroma of spices across the room.
Beside me is a pile of glistening fish: a few scallops, some bits of squid and some chunky - and, let's face it, pretty ugly - sections of gurnard, along with a bowl of clams and mussels. A bit of seasoning, then in they go - the scallops the last to enter the fray - and on goes the lid.
Within minutes our fish stew lands in the middle of the table, where bowls of aioli, croutons and grated Gruyère are waiting. It's as if we have been transported to the Mediterranean.
Okay, it's candlelight instead of the sinking sun, and that glow on our faces is the result of wine, not a day on the beach, but who's complaining when the food is this good?
Fish stews bring huge variety, are easy to make and are fun to eat. I am as keen on the barbecue as the next person, but these soothing concoctions offer fine eating. There may well be strong opinions on the finer detail of a bourride or bouillabaisse, but even close versions are fabulous.
A fish stock seems the obvious place to start, but I am not so sure. Fond as they are of fish stews, the Chinese use only light chicken stock, for a gently meaty rather than slightly bitter flavour.
If you are intent on making stock from fish, cook it only briefly: anyone charged with getting rid of leftover bones from a large cooked fish will know how sticky they can get.
What about the fish pieces? Avoid salmon and oily fish, such as mackerel, as they often dominate. Some of the grander flat fish - brill and turbot, for example - are also off my list: chopping them up somehow seems wrong.
After that it is down to preference and budget. Shellfish bring grandness: think the dark delights of mussels or the sweetness of clams. Langoustines, added at the end to poach briefly, are a favourite way to finish things off.
All recipes serve 4
FISH STEW WITH SAFFRON AND FENNEL
½ baguette, finely sliced
extra-virgin olive oil
1kg mixed fish (scallops, squid, John Dory, gurnard, cod and hake, for example)
1 onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and very finely sliced
200g tinned chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
two generous pinches saffron
400ml chicken stock
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Finely slice the baguette, drizzle with olive oil - don't use too much: the slices just need a scant covering - and bake at the top of a hot oven or under a preheated grill for three minutes or until just starting to colour. Set aside.
Cut the fish into roughly equal chunks. Season well with salt and pepper and set aside. In a pan large enough to accommodate everything, heat four tablespoons of olive oil and gently saute the onion and fennel for 10 minutes, without letting them colour. Add the tomatoes, garlic and saffron, stir so everything is distributed evenly, then add the fish. (You can halt proceedings just before you add the fish, then finish everything later.)
Allow to colour, stirring gently for two minutes, then pour in the stock. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer vigorously for five minutes, or until the fish is just cooked. Remove from the heat. Scatter with the crostini, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
SUMMER FISH STEW WITH RICE, POTATOES AND PEAS
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots
olive oil
150g carrots, cut into batons
8 small new potatoes
1 cup short-grain rice, such as arborio
generous pinch saffron
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
200g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 litre light chicken stock
1kg mixed fish (such as squid, John Dory, hake, cod)
8 langoustines
100g frozen peas
1 lemon, quartered
Gently soften the shallots in four tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes without colouring. Add the carrots, potatoes and rice and continue to stir over a moderate heat for a further five minutes. Towards the end of this time add the saffron, parsley and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Season the fish well with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Five minutes later add the prawns and peas. Let everything simmer for a further five minutes, or until the rice is just cooked. Remove from the heat and allow to rest, uncovered, for a few minutes, then serve with lemon quarters and more olive oil.
SPICED MONKFISH STEW WITH YOGURT AND CORIANDER
500g monkfish
generous pinch turmeric
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed with a little salt
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cardamom pods
½ tsp finely chopped chilli, or to taste
200ml yogurt
generous handful of roughly chopped coriander
Combine the monkfish with the turmeric, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Combine the ginger, garlic and onions in a food processor, add four tablespoons of water and blitz.
Heat four tablespoons of vegetable oil; when hot, add the cumin seeds, the cardamom and the onion paste. Fry for three or four minutes, or until the oil and water separate, then add the monkfish, stirring so it is coloured all over.
Add the chilli and yogurt, lower the heat and slowly bring everything to simmering point. Hold for two minutes, then remove from the heat. Cover and leave for five minutes, so the fish will cook through.
Sprinkle with the coriander and serve with rice.