Kalami kakavia - Corfiot fish stew
The name of this dish comes from the kakavi, the tripod stand for a cooking pot, which would have been used by ancient Ionian fishermen. The top layer of this soup should look oily and lemony. The smell is divine.
We’ve followed Louisa’s original recipe but added a pinch of saffron, as is the Greek tradition, and a glass of wine, which is our w&h tradition!
230ml olive oil
8 small potatoes
4 large peeled carrots 1 whole medium onion 1 tomato, whole and blanched
1 tbspn tomato purée 2 garlic cloves, peeled 1 bay leaf
2 litres water
600g mixed fresh seafood pinch of saffron
1 small glass white wine 400g dried macaroni juice of 3 lemons
Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy-based cooking pot. Add the potatoes, the carrots – cut into 2.5cm discs – the onion, tomato and purée, garlic and bay leaf, and fry gently, stirring all the time. Once the potatoes start to take colour, pour the water into the pot and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Add the mixed seafood and boil for 10 more mins, reduce to a simmer, add the saffron and wine, and continue cooking for 10 mins with a lid on.
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to the pack instructions. Add the lemon juice 1 min before the end of cooking time.
Serve the stew in individual bowls with a generous spoonful of plain boiled macaroni at the bottom of each. Serves 4 >>