Nick’s Winter Seafood Hot Pot Recipe

This season is all about delicious comfort food and bubbling hot pots – and we cannot get enough of this Water’s Edge version from our kitchen. This recipe serves ten big portions. Crusty chunks of bread obligatory…

INGREDIENTS

Fish soup base:
2kg of washed fish bones to include: gurnard, monk, turbot or brill, cod or pollock (for the stock)
1/2 gram of saffron
1 fresh chilli
2 washed, peeled and chopped carrots and onion
1 chopped leek
1 head of celery
2 fennel bulbs
2 chopped garlic bulbs
Half cup of brandy
Half cup of Pernod
Tin of chopped tomatoes
1/4 tin of tomato paste
5 pints of chicken stock
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Seasoning – and samphire if you’ve got it!

To be added later:
2 large chopped potatoes
Whatever seafood you fancy – we love using mussels, prawns and white fish

The roiulle:
50g pasteurised egg yolks
1.5 teaspoons harrisa
Pinch of saffron
3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
200ml pomace oil
100ml vegetable oil
200g plain mashed potato

Lemon wedges to serve
French baguette

METHOD

Saute all vegetables (apart from the potatoes) in minimal amount of olive oil until flavours are released and vegetables start to colour and soften.

Add the tomato paste and wait until the paste just starts to catch the base of the pan, then add the saffron, the alcohol, chopped tomatoes and stock.

Stir well releasing any bits from the bottom of the pan, add all other ingredients (apart from your seafood and potatoes) and bring to the simmer. Do not boil rapidly.

Simmer for approx for 2 hours allowing all the flavours from the fish bones come out.

With the hand blender, blitz the stock, releasing even more flavours. Sieve twice; first through a colander and then through a fine sieve. Return to the stove and reduce by one third.

Add your seafood of choice and chopped potatoes, and allow to cook gently.

Finish by checking the consistency and seasoning.

Blend the roiulle ingredients well until a smooth paste, and serve alongside the hot pot with buttery chunks of French baguette and wedges of lemon.

Feeling lazy? Head to the Water’s Edge restaurant and save the cooking! Please call 01326 312440 to book your table.