MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUP WITH A BASIL AND GARLIC DRIZZLE

(serves four)

You might be pleased to hear that since Brexit the UK now has plans to ban the import of shark fins. Shark finning is an abhorrent practice and the matter of cruelty aside, it’s making many species of shark face extinction. Why not make my seafood soup instead?

This can be rounded off with some boiled new potatoes to turn it into a nice supper course.

• Olive oil

• 1 each red, green and yellow peppers

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 250g smoked bacon lardons

• 275ml white wine

• 570ml fish or vegetable stock

• 2 x 400g cans tinned cherry tomatoes

• 4 tbs tomato puree

• 1 tbs sugar

• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbs sherry

• Salt and pepper to season

• 20 mussels

• 8 tiger prawns, peeled and deveined

• Basil and garlic drizzle:

• 5 sprigs fresh basil

• 1 clove garlic

• 150ml olive oil

Rub a little oil in the peppers, place them on a baking sheet and roast in a medium oven for about 15 minutes or until the skins have begun to blacken. Allow to cool then remove the skins and seeds then chop finely. Fry the bacon until just crispy and add the onions. Turning down the heat, sweat the onions until they are translucent. Add the purée and fry off slightly. Add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half, then all the other soup ingredients apart from the seafood, and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste. Add the mussels and prawns and simmer for 5 minutes until cooked. Blend the basil, garlic and olive oil and drizzle over the soup to serve.