Summer Fish Stew

We tend to stick to the grill in the summer but there is so much more to explore.  I went off the grill and made a fish stew that I would happily make again.

1 tsp. red chili flakes

5 red peppers, cut into thin slice fingers

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tsp. toasted and ground cumin seeds

5 tsp. Pernod

3 1/2 ounces water

1 tbsp Harissa (I bought some but plan on making it from scratch in the next week)

14 oz. canned chopped tomatoes (you could use fresh when tomato season starts to peak)

1 tsp. sugar

1 lb. red snapper cut into four pieces

8 large raw shrimps – peeled

1 lb. large mussels

Lemons

Coriander

Heat a large deep shallow pan coated in olive oil and toss in the chili flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like your dishes).  Add the red peppers and saute for 15 minutes.  Add half of the dry spices and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add in the Pernod and crank up the heat so the alcohol vaporizes, then add the water and the rest of the spices.  Turn down to simmer.

Season the red snapper with some salt and add them to the pan.  Then add the mussels and shrimp (you could also do clams, scallops etc).  I popped the lid on for about 5 minutes to make sure the mussels opened and the shrimps cooked thoroughly.  Turn off the heat and let this simmer for about 5 more minutes, add some salt for taste, squeeze the lemon over the top and toss some chopped coriander on too and serve.  Bread is key for sopping up the sauce.