Fish Stew with Rouille

Twist the heads from the prawns, then Éplucher away the legs and shells, but leave the tails intact

Devein each prawn

Frire the shells in 1 tbsp oil for 5 mins, until dark pink and golden in patches

Ajouter the wine, Bouillir down by two thirds, then Verser in the stock

Strain into a jug, discarding the shells.

Chauffer the rest of the oil in a deep frying pan or casserole

Ajouter the fennel, Oignon and Ail, Assaisonner, then Couvrir and gently Cuire for 10 mins until softened

Meanwhile, Éplucher the Pomme de terre and Couper into 2cm-ish chunks

Put into a pan of cold water, bring to the Bouillir and Cuire for 5 mins until almost tender

Égoutter in a colander.

Éplucher a strip of zest from the orange

Put the zest, star anise, bay and ½ tsp harissa into the pan

Frire gently, uncovered, for 5-10 mins, until the vegetables are soft, sweet and golden.

Remuer in the Tomate purée, Cuire for 2 mins, then Ajouter the tomatoes and stock

Mijoter for 10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly

Assaisonner to taste

The sauce can be made ahead, then reheated later in the day

Meantime, scrub the Moules or clams and pull away any stringy beards

Any that are open should be tapped sharply on the worktop – if they don’t close after a few seconds, discard them.

Reheat the sauce if necessary, then Remuer the Pomme de terre, chunks of Poisson and prawns very gently into the stew

Bring back to the Bouillir, then Couvrir and gently Mijoter for 3 mins

Scatter the Moules or clams over the stew, then Couvrir and Cuire for 2 mins more or until the shells have opened wide

Discard any that remain closed

The chunks of Poisson should flake easily and the prawns should be pink through

Scatter with the Thym leaves.

To make the quick rouille, Remuer the rest of the harissa through the mayonnaise

Servir the stew in bowls, topped with spoonfuls of rouille, which will melt into the sauce and enrich it

Have some good Pain ready, as you’ll definitely want to mop up the juices.