It’s a shame people can’t immediately taste this fish dish because honestly it tastes way better than it looks. It’s really, really good Mum. You can make that again loads. One of my all time favourite soups, definitely!
Teenager review
Thanks to my eldest son and his honest summary of my version of Fish Stew, this dish has become a bit of a fave in our household. And I too happily eat this on repeat. I think it’s something to do with the alluring zing of the capers, the deep richness of the tomato broth and the way the fish protein is cooked ever so gently to a flaky consistency.
This stew is notably rich in two star omega-3s: EPA and DHA. These two fatty acids have been shown in numerous studies to reduce inflammation, alter cell membranes in favourable ways, and increase brain regeneration and cognition. DHA may also protect your brain from the harm of stress and help with mild memory loss.
Omega-3s can activate certain genes to boost metabolism, and assist weight loss by decreasing inflammatory mediators. It’s one of the reasons that in my group weight loss and detox programs, I always see more weight loss achieved when the weekly diet includes more seafood than other animal proteins.
In general terms I recommend including seafood for dinner at least twice a week, and this Fish Stew can be a delicious welcome addition.
Mediterranean Fish Stew
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
generous pinch chilli flakes
1 glass white wine
400g tomato passata
400g can whole peeled tomatoes
3 cups fish or chicken stock
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp capers
3 anchovy fillets (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
800g firm white fish fillets, roughly chopped
1 large handful parsley, chopped
½ lemon
Method
- Heat the EVOO in a large lidded pan over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, celery, garlic and chilli flakes and cook gently, occasionally stirring, until softened.
- Pour in the wine and tomato passata and bring to the boil. Cook until these liquids are reduced by half.
- Add the canned whole tomatoes, broth, thyme and capers, and anchovies if using. Return to the boil, cover and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Season to your liking.
- Pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Lower into the pan and gently stir until all fish pieces are immersed. Return to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Cover the pan, remove from the heat and allow to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes while the fish completes cooking. Check fish is flaky and cooked through, then add parsley to the pot and stir in.
- Taste the stew and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a generous squeeze of lemon if needed.
- Ladle into soup bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.
Tips: A loaf of freshly baked bread like the popular A-Z Bread would go down a treat for dipping in.
