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No-waste spicy tomato fish stew

Name: No-waste spicy tomato fish stew
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely chopped; 1 red pepper, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 scotch bonnet chilli, with a small slit in the side (or chopped for extra heat); 2 tbsp tomato purée; 2 sustainable whole sea bream or bass (about 600g), filleted, heads and bones reserved; 6 sustainable whole sardines (about 600g), filleted, heads and bones reserved; 200ml white wine; Small handful thyme; 450g large ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks; 100g baby spinach; Crusty bread or rice to serve

By: Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Published: 3 Jul 24
Updated: 15 Jul 24

Soul-nourishing, spicy and tangy, this stew has a smooth, creamy broth base with chunks of tomato and fish. Like the classic French recipe, bouillabaisse, it uses all of the fish to bring depth of flavour, with the fillets added at the end.

Try more fin-to-gill recipes, like our golden fish scrap croquettes and crispy fish skin crackling.

Easy
July 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 45 min, plus simmering time 45 min

Try more fin-to-gill recipes, like our golden fish scrap croquettes and crispy fish skin crackling.

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories: 613kcals
Fat: 29g (6.5g saturated)
Protein: 61g
Carbohydrates: 13g (11g sugars)
Fibre: 5.2g
Salt: 0.7g

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Before you start

Ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish, but take the head and bones too.

Before you start

Ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish, but take the head and bones too.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 scotch bonnet chilli, with a small slit in the side (or chopped for extra heat)
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 sustainable whole sea bream or bass (about 600g), filleted, heads and bones reserved
6 sustainable whole sardines (about 600g), filleted, heads and bones reserved
200ml white wine
Small handful thyme
450g large ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
100g baby spinach
Crusty bread or rice to serve

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Method

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat, then add the onion, celery, pepper, garlic, chilli and a large pinch of salt. Cook for about 12 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the fish heads, scraps and bones, then the wine. Bubble until almost evaporated, then add 1 litre water and the thyme. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
Take off the heat and pour into a blender (in batches if needed). Slowly at first, blend the broth and bones – take out the whole chilli first if you don’t want extra heat. Increase the speed until the mixture is ground to a near-smooth liquid.

Return the pan to a medium heat (no need to clean), add the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and cook for about 10 minutes to soften. Pour the whizzed broth through a fine sieve into the pan, pressing the solids with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Heat through for a few minutes, stirring. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cut the white fish fillets and sardine fillets into 4-5cm chunks and lower into the broth. Simmer for 1 minute, then stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until the fish is opaque. Serve drizzled with oil, with rice or crusty bread on the side.