Ingredients

• butter
• for frying
• 50g/2oz shallots
• chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• chopped
• 1 leek
• chopped
• 1 carrot
• chopped
• ½ fennel bulb
• chopped
• 2 celery sticks
• chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 4 tomatoes
• 175ml/6fl oz white wine
• 50ml/2fl oz brandy
• 1 bay leaf
• 750ml/1¼ pints fish stock
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 12 new potatoes
• cooked
• 400g/14oz assorted fish and shellfish
• such as salmon
• cod
• clams
• prawns
• 2 carrots
• sliced and boiled until tender
• 100g/3½oz fine beans
• chopped and cooked
• handful fresh parsley
• chopped
• sprig tarragon
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• crusty bread
• garlic mayonnaise

Directions

• Melt the butter in a large pan over a low heat. Add the shallots
• garlic
• leek
• carrot
• fennel and celery and gently fry for 10-12 minutes
• until softened but not browned.
• Add the tomato purée
• tomatoes
• white wine and brandy. Bring to the boil and cook to reduce the liquid volume by half.
• Add the bay leaf
• fish stock and cream and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook to reduce the volume by half.
• Add the cayenne pepper
• paprika
• potatoes
• chunks of fish and shellfish
• carrots and beans. Simmer for no more than five minutes
• or until the fish is just cooked (depending on the fish of your choice). NB: if you are cooking clams
• mussels or similar shellfish
• discard any that have not opened during cooking.
• Add the parsley
• tarragon and lemon juice and stir gently.
• To serve
• pour into bowls and serve with crusty bread and garlic mayonnaise.