Description
This vibrant Italian one-pot seafood dish features tender sea bass fillets, squid, mussels, and prawns simmered in a flavorful tomato and white wine sauce with aromatic fennel, garlic, and fresh basil. Perfectly paired with crusty bread, it’s a comforting yet elegant meal that brings the taste of the Mediterranean to your table with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 fennel bulb, halved and sliced, fronds kept separate to garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ red chilli, chopped
- 250g cleaned squid, sliced into rings
- bunch basil, leaves and stalks separated, stalks tied together, leaves roughly chopped
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 150ml white wine
- 2 large handfuls of mussels or clams
- 8 large raw prawns (whole look nicest)
- 4 sea bass fillets (about 140g/5oz each)
- Crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel, garlic, and chopped red chilli. Fry gently until the fennel softens and the garlic is fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add squid and flavorings: Stir in the squid rings and the tied basil stalks, then pour in the chopped tomatoes and white wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Simmer the sauce: Cover and simmer over a low heat for 35 minutes, allowing the squid to become tender and the sauce to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add shellfish and fish: Scatter the mussels and prawns evenly over the sauce, then lay the sea bass fillets gently on top. Cover the pan again, increase the heat to high, and cook hard for 5 minutes until the shellfish open and the sea bass is cooked through.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the tied basil stalks. Scatter the chopped basil leaves and reserved fennel fronds over the dish. Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful sauce.
Notes
- Make sure to discard any mussels or clams that do not open during cooking to avoid any food safety issues.
- You can substitute white wine with fish stock or vegetable stock if preferred.
- For extra heat, increase the amount of red chilli or add fresh chilli flakes when serving.
- Use very fresh seafood for the best flavor and ensure the prawns are thoroughly cleaned if not pre-cleaned.
- This dish can be doubled but ensure your saucepan is large enough to fit all ingredients comfortably.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: sea bass seafood one pot, Italian seafood stew, one pot fish recipe, seafood tomato stew, Mediterranean seafood dish
