You Need to Make This Summery Fish and Tomato Stew
Suze Morrison takes us through how to make her favourite fish stew
- For the base
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large British leeks, trimmed, halved and finely sliced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp English mustard powder (or 1/2 tsp grated fresh British horseradish)
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g tin tomatoes
- 200g fresh baby tomatoes
- 400ml fish stock
- 1 bay leaf
- A few thyme sprigs
- For the fish & finishing
- 200g sustainably caught British white fish (hake, haddock, pollock or cod), cut into chunks
- 200g fresh British river trout, cut into chunks
- 200g British mussels or cooked brown shrimp (optional)
- 1 tbsp butter
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- A handful of chopped parsley
- Sea salt & black pepper
- To serve
- Crusty bread or homemade sourdough
- Butter (optional but encouraged)
Warm the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook 10 minutes until softened and sweet. Add the onion and garlic and cook for three to four minutes. Sprinkle in the mustard powder and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato purée and cook for a minute to deepen the flavour. Pour in the tinned and fresh tomatoes and fish stock. Add bay and thyme, then simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Taste and season the broth. Nestle in the fish pieces and simmer for five to seven minutes until just opaque and flaking. Add mussels for the final three minutes if using, cover, and let them steam open. Stir in the butter, lemon, and parsley. Adjust seasoning – the stew should taste fresh, clean, and coastal with a warming hum from the mustard.
To serve, ladle into bowls and serve with thick slices of crusty bread to mop up the broth.
