Seafood stew with tomato and fennel

My dad is a huge fan of seafood so when the family gathers, there's usually at least one seafood dish on the table. With all of our family around during the school holidays, I made this delicious and simple one pot seafood stew for everyone.  It's much like Italian-American cioppino which calls for wine, tomatoes and a mixture of regionally sourced seafood.

Family seafood stew

This family seafood stew with tomatoes and fennel is a delight to eat.   It consists of  fish fillets, mussels, calamari and prawns (shrimp) gently simmered in a tomato, white wine and fish stock broth.  It's delicious served with buttered sourdough bread.  Use it to mop of the broth as you eat. 

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp virgin olive oil
• 1 stalk leek (white stalk only) ((thinly sliced))
• 2 tsp garlic ((minced))
• 1 medium bulb of fennel ((thinly sliced))
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper) ((finely sliced))
• 1 chorizo sausage ((finely diced))
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 litre fish or chicken stock
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tin crushed tomatoes (400g)
• 10 mussels ((cleaned, beards removed))
• 1 squid tube ((sliced into rings))
• 12 prawns ((shelled and de-veined with the tail left on))
• 1-2 skinless white fish fillet ((cut into 5cm / 2 inch pieces))
• 1 handful flat leaf parsley ((finely chopped))
• 1 lemon ((sliced into wedges))
• chilli flakes or sauce ((optional))

Method:

1. Heat a large lidded chef's pan to medium high heat.  Saute onions, garlic, fennel, capsicum (bell pepper) and chorizo for 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened and everything is fragrant.

2. Add white wine, fish stock, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for ten minutes without the lid on.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Distribute the seafood evenly as you it to the pot in the following order: mussels, calamari, prawns and lastly, fish fillets.  Use a ladel to pour some broth over the seafood. Put the lid on and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until the mussels have opened, the calamari, prawns and fish is opaque.

5. Serve immediately with a generous amount of broth.  Finally, add a squeeze of lemon, fresh parsley and chilli flakes or sauce.