After serving up this soup to a group of friends one of the diners wanted to marry me because it’s that good haha. The recipe mimics a bouillabaisse but I’ve pared it back to create an unfussy dish that’s quick and easy to prepare.

Serves 2 as a main course

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 400g crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup white wine
• 300g white fish such as snapper, gurnard or hapuka, cut into large bite-sized pieces
• 6-8 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
• 6-8 cockles, scrubbed
• 2-4 large prawns, peeled and deveined
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼-1 tsp (depending how hot you like it) fresh minced chilli
• 1 T parsley, chopped fine

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy based pot. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until it softens but isn’t coloured. Add tomatoes and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. The sauce can be left at this stage until you are ready to serve.
2. Just before serving, add the fish pieces, mussels and cockles, cover and cook on medium to high for about 2 minutes or until some of the shellfish have sprung open.
3. Immediately add the prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes more, by which time the prawns ought to be cooked through and all the shellfish is open.
4. To serve, use a slotted spoon to transfer the seafood to two deep bowls. Whisk in the mayonnaise and chilli to the remaining tomato base in the saucepan before pouring it over the seafood in the bowls.
5. Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Nici’s note:

Use 100% mussels in this recipe for an economical dish that’s packed with iodine and iron.