Simple fish stew

A simple, fragrant fish stew made with white fish and prawns

I think today might be the much-promised Indian summer we've all been waiting for! And this simple, fragrant fish stew, flavoured with sweet fennel and harissa, is the perfect dish. You'll need some crusty bread to soak up the juices and perhaps a green salad on the side.

Feel free to ring the changes with the fish. I've kept this deliberately simple and used fish you can keep in your freezer but if you can get them, a handful of mussels would finish this off beautifully - clean well (discarding any with open shells) then just steam them in the sauce until the shells open. You can also make the sauce in advance (handy if you're entertaining) up to the end of step 4, then when you're ready to eat, just reheat and add the fish.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
1-2 bulbs fennel, finely sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 orange
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
1tbsp harissa paste
300ml white wine
4tbsp tomato purée
2 tins chopped tomatoes
200ml fish or vegetable stock
400g white fish, such as cod or pollock
200-300g raw prawns
A few thyme leaves
4-6tbsp good quality mayonnaise

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion, fennel and garlic, cover and cook gently for 10mins or so until soft. Meanwhile parboil the potatoes for about 5mins until just tender, then drain and set aside.
2. Peel a couple of strips of zest from the orange then add to the pan with the star anise, bay leaves and 1tsp of the harissa (save the rest for later). Cook uncovered for another 5-10 mins.
3. Stir in the tomato purée and let it cook for 2mins. Then add the white wine, turn the heat up and let it bubble and reduce down a bit.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes and stock and let the sauce simmer for 10mins.
5. Add the white fish and potato and cook for a minute or two then add the prawns and cook until the fish flakes easily and the prawns are just pink
6. Make a quick cheaty rouille by stirring the remaining harissa into the mayonnaise. Serve with dollops of rouille, a sprinkling of thyme leaves and have some crusty bread on hand to soak up the delicious juices.