Caldeirada (Portuguese fish stew)

INGREDIENTS

(serves six)

Oil
3 onions, sliced
1 celery stick, chopped
4 green peppers, sliced into thin strips
Garlic
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 pinch saffron
300ml white wine
1 tin tomatoes, strained and squeezed
600ml fish stock
4 bay leaves
8 sprigs coriander, chopped
8 sprigs parsley, chopped
900g mussels
450g small clams
450g fresh squid
12 fresh king prawns
650g oily and white fish, such as mackerel and hake
1 lemon

METHOD

Heat oil in saucepan until hot. Add onions, celery, green peppers, garlic and chilli. Gently fry until starting to soften. Add saffron and white wine. Cook for about five minutes so that saffron infuses with other ingredients. Add tomatoes and cook for five more minutes then add stock, bay leaves and half the chopped herbs. Partially cover and let simmer for half-an-hour. Check seasoning. Bring almost to a boil and add the shellfish. Cover, and after three minutes add the squid and prawns. Cover, and after three minutes add the remainder of the fish. Allow to simmer for a further five minutes or until the last fish is cooked. Finally, squeeze a whole lemon into the stew and serve. Garnish with the rest of the chopped herbs.