French Seafood Stew
This French-inspired seafood stew starts with a deep, aromatic base of leeks and carrots, then gets crowned with the freshest catch - silky salmon, plump prawns, sweet scallops, and briny vongole. Every spoonful is pure coastal comfort!
Ingredients
400 gm pieces of salmon or any fish of choice
250 gm vongole
8-10 scallops
For the Soup base
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
600 gm medium prawns
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk leek, cleaned and sliced
1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf and parsley)
1 tbs tomato paste
½ cup white wine (optional)
1 litre fish stock
Salt & pepper
Parsley, to serve
Method
1. Make the soup base. Peel the prawns, discard the intestinal tract and reserve the heads and shells. Refrigerate the prawn meat to be used later.
2. Heat oil in a pot, add the prawn shells and heads, the vegetables and bouquet garni and fry for a about 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
4. Add the wine if using to deglaze the mixture. Pour in fish stock, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Remove bouquet garni and transfer the soup, shells and all, in batches to a blender and puree until smooth.
6. Sieve the soup and discard the pulp.
7. Place the soup in a pan, add in fish and reserved prawns. Cook for a minute.
8. Then add the vongole and scallops and gently poach the seafood until the vongole open.
9. Serve with toasted baguette and sprinkle with parsley.
