Ligurian Fish Stew

Ingredients

• 500 g mixed fish fillets (with skin e.g., red mullet, dragonfish, wolffish,…)
• 1 kg mussels (e.g., Venus mussels and blue mussels)
• 6 pre‑cooked calamari
• 4 large prawns
• 1 Carrot
• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 Spring Onions
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 Red Onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 tin saffron strands (0.1 g)
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 250 ml fish stock
• 250 g passata
• Salt
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• Lemon juice
• 8 black olives (pitted if desired)
• basil leaves (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash and pat the fish fillets dry. Clean and rinse the mussels. Rinse the calamari and prawns and let them drain.

2. 2.

   Wash, peel if necessary, and cut the vegetables into about 1 cm cubes. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash the chili pepper, slice it lengthwise, remove seeds and white pith, then dice finely. Heat the oil in a pot, sauté the vegetables and garlic. Add the chili, saffron strands and tomato paste, deglaze with white wine, bring to a boil and reduce by about half. Pour in the fish stock and passata, bring to a quick boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes. Add more stock if needed. Season with salt and lemon juice.

3. 3.

   Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, cut into portions and add them to the pot along with mussels, calamari, prawns and olives. Let everything cook together for another 6–8 minutes until the mussels open; discard any that remain closed.

4. 4.

   Taste the stew and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with basil.

5. 5.

   Serve with toasted bread on the side if desired.