Description
A vibrant and hearty Mediterranean fish stew brimming with succulent halibut, clams, and prawns in a rich tomato, garlic, and white wine broth, served alongside crispy garlic toasts for the perfect comforting seafood meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Stew Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1kg tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 200ml white wine
- 350ml fish stock
- 3 strips orange zest
- 1kg skinless halibut fillets, cut into large chunks
- 500g clams
- 400g large raw prawns
- Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Garlic Toast Ingredients
- 1 large ciabatta loaf, cut into 1cm slices
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
Instructions
- Prepare Garlic Toasts: Drizzle the ciabatta slices with olive oil. Griddle or grill the bread until golden and crisp on all sides. While still warm, rub the toasted bread with the halved garlic cloves to infuse them with garlic flavor. Set aside.
- Sauté Onion and Aromatics: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan over gentle heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the sliced garlic and finely chopped red chili, cooking for an additional 2 minutes to release their aromas.
- Cook Tomato Base: Add the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes to the pan. Increase the heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes break down and become pulpy.
- Add Wine and Reduce: Pour in the white wine and continue cooking for 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, concentrating the flavors.
- Simmer with Stock and Orange Zest: Stir in the fish stock and orange zest strips, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Poach Fish: Nestle the halibut chunks into the simmering stew and cook for 5 minutes to start cooking the fish.
- Add Shellfish and Finish Cooking: Add the clams and prawns to the stew and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the halibut is cooked through and the clams have opened. Discard any clams that remain closed.
- Serve: Sprinkle the chopped flat-leaf parsley over the stew for freshness and serve hot with the prepared garlic toasts on the side.
Notes
- Ensure all clams are fresh and discard any that do not open during cooking to avoid food safety issues.
- The white wine should be dry to best complement the stew’s flavors; reserve a glass for drinking if desired.
- Grilling or griddling the bread is essential to achieve crispy garlic toasts, but you can substitute with oven toasting if needed.
- Adjust the amount of chili to control the heat level according to personal preference.
- Use skinless halibut fillets or a similarly firm white fish such as cod or haddock if halibut is unavailable.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Seafood Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Mediterranean fish stew, halibut stew, seafood stew, garlic toasts, ciabatta garlic bread, white wine seafood, halibut recipes, prawn and clam stew, summer seafood dish
