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Green fish stew
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 450g tomatillos
- 2 bunches coriander, leaves picked
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
- 6 spring onions, white and green parts sliced
- 1 or 2 serrano peppers, sliced
- 475ml kombu stock
- 1tsp fish sauce
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for cooking
- 1⁄2tsp sea salt
- 700g firm white fish fillets (such as rock cod or halibut)
- 1 lemon
For the stock
- 30g kombu (available to buy from Waitrose)
- 1⁄2tsp sea salt
To serve
- 4-6 tbsp crème fraîche
- coriander leaves and/or blossoms
- parsley leaves
- 1⁄4 white onion, thinly sliced
Method
To make the stock, place the kombu and salt in 900ml water in a medium-sized saucepan and warm over a medium heat. When the first bubbles appear, turn off the heat, cover the saucepan and steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
For the stew, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the tomatillos until soft but still whole, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain.
Place the tomatillos in a blender with the coriander, parsley, spring onions, serrano peppers, kombu stock, fish sauce, olive oil and sea salt. Purée until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until slightly reduced.
Meanwhile, pat the fish dry and cut into 10cm pieces. Season with sea salt. Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat; add enough oil to coat the pan. Add the fish in one layer then cook for 3-4 minutes, or until each piece moves easily with a slight prod. Turn and cook for 2 minutes more, until the fish is opaque.
Meanwhile, taste the sauce and season if necessary.
Divide the fish among the serving bowls and ladle the sauce over the top. Garnish each bowl with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a scattering of the herbs and sliced onion.
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