Italian Seafood Stew with fresh pasta or garlic bread sticks - you choose ...
This is one from the archives, (after all the festivities and super-rich food, my January menu leans towards more low key and effortless efforts ). However, this dish is one of my go to's and depending on my mood, is served with either some hand-made pappardelle or grilled strips of ciabatta, rubbed with garlic and soaked in fruity E.V.O. oil or simply, with some very yummy Aioli!
This one was mussels, clams and prawns with some sea bass fillets and my favourite pasta.
This one had the same seafood ingredients, but with an added touch of wee Chorizo sausages and with ciabatta (toasted on the grill) and aioli (good quality, deli purchase).
Italian Seafood Stew
A selection of seafood (your choice totally and the amount you buy depends on the number of people you are feeding), add some of your favourite fish - mine is Sea Bass or Sockeye Salmon. For 4 people I would get 200g of mussels, 200g of clams & 3 large prawns each (for a bit of grand-standing, you could get some with the shells still on) - 2 fillets each of the fish (cut in chunks) and that will give you a fabulous meal. An added option of Chorizo Rosario slices also works very well with this dish - again, your choice
Good quality fish stock (or make your own - ask the fishmonger for bones and make as you would a meat or vegetable stock)
one glass of the white wine you're serving with this dish
Chopped fresh parsley
Fresh pasta noodles or thin strips of ciabatta with garlic & olive oil or aioli
As with so many of my recipes, this begins with a great "sugo"
For the tomato sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a good splash olive oil
2 x 400g tins pelalti tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
1 pinch oregano
Heat a large frying pan. Fry the garlic with a little oil until soft. Add the tomatoes & oregano. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Add the fish stock and wine and reduce the mixture by half.
Once on a rolling boil, add the fish, bring back to the low boil and follow with the mussels & clams, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the prawns and repeat. Ensure that shells have opened and fish is cooked.
Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop the fish and seafood out onto a warmed serving platter, cover with broth and scatter over the chopped parsley.
Serve with your choice of accompaniment - relax and enjoy!