54 The Times Magazine
- 1 large fennel bulb,
finely chopped - 2½ garlic cloves, 2 sliced and
half a clove finely chopped - 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 2 x 400g tins chopped
tomatoes - 500ml fresh fish stock
- 200g small potatoes, peeled
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 100ml white wine
- Small bunch of parsley,
finely chopped
- Soak the porcini in 100ml
hot water until softened. Drain,
reserving the liquid, and roughly
chop the mushrooms. - Cut all the fish fillets into 3cm
pieces. Remove the head from
the lobster, if using, and pull
off the claws. Crack the claws.
Cut the tail in half lengthways
and then across in half. Put the
clams in a colander and rinse
thoroughly under cold running
water. Discard any that remain
open. Set aside in a cool place. - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large
pan and cook the onion, celery,
carrots and fennel with the sliced
garlic and fennel seeds until
softened. Add the porcini and
their soaking liquid and the
tomatoes. Cook for about
20 minutes until reduced by
half, stirring occasionally. Add
the fish stock and cook for
another 20 minutes. - Meanwhile, cut the potatoes
into thumb-sized pieces. Place
in a pan of salted water with the
saffron and bring to the boil.
Drain and reserve. - Remove the broth from the
heat. Taste and season and puree
in the pan with a stick blender. - Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil
in a large shallow pan with a
tight-fitting lid. Add the fish and
clams along with the white wine.
Cover and cook for 1 minute.
Jiggle the pan to help open the
clams (discard any not open after
a minute). Add the hot broth and
potatoes. Cover with the lid again
and bring to the boil, then add
the quartered lobster tail and
claws. Simmer for a few minutes. - Mix together the parsley and
finely chopped garlic. Stir into
the stew and heat, covered, for
1 minute. Serve in large bowls.