Around the world in 80 dishes No.16: Chile

Chilean fish stew

Ingredients to serve 6

4 ripe tomatoes

750g small potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 onions, halved and finely sliced

2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced

Olive oil

100ml dry white wine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1kg halibut fillets, skinned and cut into 3cm cubes

4 sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

4 sprigs of fresh oregano, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 medium-hot green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

1 litre fish stock, hot

Juice of 1 lemon, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

With the point of a small sharp knife, remove the core from the tomatoes and score the underside with a cross. Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the tomatoes for 10 seconds, then remove to a bowl of iced water.

When they are cool enough to handle, peel them, cut them into quarters and discard all the seeds.

In a deep casserole, layer one third of the potatoes. Mix the onions with the carrots and scatter half of this mixture over the potatoes with a splash of oil and white wine. Season with salt and black pepper. Lay half the fish on top of the vegetables.

Mix half of the herbs with the tomatoes, garlic and chillies. Lay half of this mixture on top of the fish and season again. Repeat with layers of one-third of splashes of olive oil and white wine.

Add the remaining spiced tomato mixture and top with the rest of the potatoes. Season again with salt and black pepper. Pour over the hot fish stock. Place the casserole over a high heat and gently bring to the boil, then back in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and check that the potatoes are cooked. Serve in large shallow dishes, splashed with a little more olive oil and some lemon juice.

Scatter over the remaining herbs before serving with lots of crusty white bread to mop up all the juices, and a very crisp Chilean Sauvignon blanc.

From Fish Tales: stories and recipes from sustainable fisheries around the world, by Bart van Olphen and Tom Kime (Kyle Cathie Ltd, in association with the Marine Stewardship Council, £19.99)