Ingredients

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion
• chopped
• 2 fennel bulbs
• chopped
• 150g/5oz chorizo
• diced
• 1 red chilli
• finely chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• ground
• 2 cloves new season garlic
• crushed
• ½tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp saffron strands (optional)
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tin plum tomatoes
• 100ml/3½ fl oz fish stock or water
• 150ml/5 fl oz white wine
• 500g/1 lb 2oz mussels
• cleaned
• 650g/1 lb 7 oz firm white fish (bream
• pollock
• cod
• monkfish)
• filleted
• dredged in flour and fried in olive oil
• 100g/3½ oz toasted almonds
• ground
• 1 lemon
• cut into wedges
• steamed potatoes and spring greens

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onions
• fennel
• diced chorizo
• chilli
• ground fennel seeds and garlic for a few minutes.
• Add the paprika
• thyme
• saffron
• bay leaves and tomatoes and cook until reduced to a thickish sauce.
• Add the fish stock (or water) and white wine and bring to a simmer.
• Add the cooked mussels and cook until they are all open. Discard any that have not opened.
• Put the fish pieces into the stew and stir in the almonds.
• Heat for a minute or two and serve with seasonal greens
• steamed potatoes and wedges of lemon.