Ligurian Buridda (Italian Fish Stew) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, for shallow-frying
2 carrots, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 kg beef tomatoes or 2 kg plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
850 ml fresh fish stock
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
6 monkfish steaks, on the bone
12 squid rings
12 raw king prawns
6 small bass fillets or 6 small sea bream fillets
12 raw mussels

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in large heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish.
Add in the carrot, onion, thyme and garlic and fry gently over a low heat for 5 minutes.
Add in the tomatoes and the fish stock.
Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little sugar.
Cover the tomato mixture with a cartouche (a lid made from baking paper) and simmer very gently for 2 hours, stirring now and then.
Add in the monkfish, squid, king prawns, bass and mussels and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the fish and seafood is cooked through.
Serve the Buridda over slices of toasted Garlic Italian bread.