Ingredients

• 2 small (100g/3½oz) red mullet
• gutted
• scaled
• gills removed
• cut into 3cm/1¼in pieces
• heads and tails reserved
• 1 x 1kg/2lb 4oz gurnard
• gutted
• scaled
• gills removed
• cut into 3cm/1¼in pieces
• head and tail reserved
• 1 large onion
• thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb
• thinly sliced
• 1 garlic bulb
• cloves separated and thinly sliced
• 1 leek
• thinly sliced
• 100ml/3½fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 15g/½oz fresh basil
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 10g/â…“oz fresh parsley stalks
• 25g/1oz flaked sea salt
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
• 1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
• pinch saffron strands
• 1 clove
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 500g/1lb 2oz plum tomatoes
• sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50g/1¾oz tomato purée
• 500g/1lb 2oz tomatoes
• chopped
• 150ml/5fl oz good-quality dry white wine
• 3 litres/5¼ pints good-quality fish stock or water
• 600g/1lb 5oz Maris Piper potatoes
• cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 leeks
• 12 large langoustines
• 1 x 1kg/2lb 4oz monkfish tail
• deboned and trimmed
• 12 scallops

Directions

• Put the red mullet and gurnard in a large bowl. Add the onion
• fennel
• garlic
• leek
• extra virgin olive oil
• herbs
• salt
• spices and plum tomatoes and mix well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours
• turning the contents every 4–6 hours.
• Separate the fish from the vegetables and spice mix
• reserving the liquid. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the fish
• discarding the heads and tails
• for 10–15 minutes
• or until golden brown on all sides.
• Meanwhile
• heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan large enough to hold the soup. Add the vegetables and sweat for 5–7 minutes
• without allowing them to colour. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the fish from its pan and keep warm. Deglaze the pan with a splash of the wine and add to the vegetables.
• When the vegetables are soft
• add the tomato purée and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes
• reserved liquid and remaining wine
• increase the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the stock
• bring to the boil rapidly
• reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• cook the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for 20 minutes
• or until soft.
• Blend the soup in a blender until very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and keep warm.
• Blanch the whole leeks in a large pan of salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and slice into 1cm/½in slices.
• Drain the potatoes and add to the soup along with the leeks.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil
• then add the langoustines and cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside to cool slightly before removing the tail meat
• then add to the soup to cook through.
• Sear the monkfish tail in a hot frying pan for 5 minutes
• until golden on each side but not quite cooked through. Remove from the pan and cut into 24 slices. Add to the soup to cook through.
• Season the scallops in the same pan
• sear and cook them through.
• To serve
• divide the soup between 12 warmed serving bowls and top each one with a seared scallop. Drizzle the fish with lemon juice and serve alongside.