Zuppa di pesce al’Abruzzese

Ingredients

• ½ cup good olive oil

• 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled

• ¼ baby octopus

• 4 extra large green bug tails, halved

• 200 g firm white-fleshed fresh fish (we use barramundi)

• 8 prawns (size U10)

• ¼ kg black mussels

• ¼ kg clams (in shells)

• 200 g Tasmanian salmon or ocean trout

• salt and pepper

• 1 whole large red chilli (optional)

• 150 ml dry white wine

• 150 ml good fish stock

• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

• ¼ bunch basil (torn)

• ¼ bunch continental parsley (chopped)

• ½lemon, Zested

Instructions

1. Cover the bottom of the large pan generously with olive oil and heat. Place the garlic in the hot oil, making sure the flame is not so high as to burn the garlic, and cook to golden. Remove the garlic and set aside.

2. Add the octopus and fry until brown. Set aside. Add the bugs, fry for 3 minutes and set aside. Add the white fish and fry for 3 minutes, turning once or twice depending on the thickness. Set aside. Add the prawns and continue frying a further 2–3 minutes. Set aside. Add the mussels and clams, cook for a few minutes and set aside. Add the salmon and season with salt and pepper, adding chilli if desired. Add the seafood back to the pan, together with the garlic, wine and stock.

3. Cover and cook on a reasonably high flame so as to reduce the liquid by half. Stir gently to prevent sticking.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes, basil, parsley and lemon zest a few minutes before cooking is finished, to retain the freshness and fragrance of the herbs. Stir the “soup”.

5. Serve with Pasta or risoni or fregola (Sardinian couscous).

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.