How to make a Croatian seafood stew

Covered in a rich tomato sauce, this dish can be ready in less than an hour

Croatian seafood stew

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes

Serves 4

50ml olive oil
1 large onion, very finely sliced
1 head fennel, halved and finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
400g fresh tomatoes, finely chopped or 400g can chopped tomatoes
150ml dry white wine 
1 tbsp tomato purée
250ml Cooks’ Ingredients Fish Stock
300g Cornish hake fillets (or other firm white fillets, such as monkfish or cod)
12 raw peeled tiger prawns
8 raw shell-on tiger prawns
100g (2 small) fresh squid, sliced into rings 
300g live mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
25g pack fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Warm the olive oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and garlic and cook for 10-12 minutes until softened. Increase the heat and add the tomatoes. After 5 minutes add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes more, then stir through the tomato purée. Add the stock and simmer for a further 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

Season the fish, then place into the pan, on top of the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining seafood, cover and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until thoroughly cooked, the mussels have opened (discard any unopened shells) and the prawn shells are pink/red and the prawn flesh is white/pink.

Scatter with the parsley, season and serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over. This is traditionally served with polenta or crusty bread and is also delicious with a green salad.

Recipe and image courtesy of Waitrose.com