Recently, I made some Mediterranean-style fish stew for dinner, and it was good for my body, my soul, and my travelling spirit.

I lived in a country by the Mediterranean for a few years. When I think of the seafood, I remember the long coastal drive we used to take down to an open-air fish market by the sea, where local independent fishermen sold their catch directly to the public. Twinkling waters. Every type of seafood imaginable!

And on the way to the market, we saw locals in the fields, and by the sides of the roads, foraging for wild greens. In my time there, I bought fish whole, and cleaned and filleted them myself. I washed and cooked wild greens, too. I felt quite accomplished.

Whenever I travel, I tend to choose seafood, as, apart from being amazing, it’s a certainty when it comes to taste and texture. I remember eating salmon at a small hotel overlooking a loch in the Scottish Highlands; fish and chips elevated to a new level in a London pub in Kensington; sea bass at a Paris bistro on Île Saint-Louis.

Which brings me to this Mediterranean-Style Fish Stew. Look. Every once in a while, you come across a dish that makes you feel not just wholesome, but whole. I say Mediterranean-Style, because I’ve put my spin on it.

It never leaves me bloated, but satisfied. I feel as if all of this stew’s nutrients set immediately to work.

And most of all , it reminds me of my time by the Mediterranean sea.

“I really do hate to quote myself, but I said early on in my career, ‘There’s nothing more exhilarating than fresh fish freshly cooked.”
-Rick Stein, Chef and Restauranteur, Quote here

Ingredients

600 g skinned thick white fish fillet
220 g raw peeled prawns (shrimp) with or without tails (your preference)
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes (I really prefer Italian brands for this)
2½ cups vegetable stock
60 g butter
1 onion
1 carrot
¼ large red capsicum (pepper)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional, but adds a nice hint of heat without it being overwhelming)
rind of ½ lemon
½ cup basil, shredded (I like to throw in a little parsley too)
olive oil, salt, pepper

Crunchy Baguette Slices

1 small baguette, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic
olive oil

Instructions

Dice the onion, carrot and capsicum.
Cut fish into 3cm cubes. Season fish with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, then add butter, carrot and capsicum and fry for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant.
Add tinned chopped tomatoes, stock, lemon rind and chilli flakes.
Bring to the boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until soup reduces and thickens slightly.
Meantime, put baguette thins on baking paper, drizzle small amount of olive oil across them and place in a 200℃/392℉ oven for about 10 minutes. When crispy, remove from oven and rub garlic clove across each just once. (Too many rubs and garlic will be overpowering.)
Add fish to tomato and stock, and cook uncovered for three minutes before adding prawns. Cook everything, stirring gently, for a further two to three minutes or until seafood changes colour and is cooked.
Add herbs, and further seasoning.
Ladle into bowls and serve with crispy baguette if using.

Hello!

Mediterranean-Style Fish Stew