Rich fish soup recipe

The subtle combinations of meaty monkfish, delicate haddock, aniseed fennel, and the light scent of saffron marry well. You could add some mussels or prawns, if you like

Serves 4-6

Takes 25 minutes to prepare and 4-8 hours in the slow cooker
Takes 15 minutes to prepare and 1 hour to cook on the hob

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 250ml dry white wine
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 600ml hot light vegetable stock for the slow cooker (900ml for the traditional method)
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 200g monkfish, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 200g haddock loin, cut into bite-sized pieces

In the slow cooker

1. Preheat the slow cooker, if required. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper and throw in the thyme. Add the garlic and fennel, and cook gently for a further 5 minutes until the fennel begins to soften.

2. Stir through the chilli and cook for 1 minute, then increase the heat, add the wine, and let it bubble for a minute. Transfer everything to the hot slow cooker, tip in the tomatoes and stock, and stir through the saffron. Cover with the lid and cook on auto/low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

3. Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth, or transfer in batches to a liquidizer and blend until smooth and return to the hot slow cooker. Taste and season as needed, add the fish, put the lid back on, and leave for about 10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve with white crusty bread. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds, if you like.

Traditional method

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft. Season with salt and pepper and throw in the thyme. Add the garlic and fennel, and cook gently for a further 5 minutes until the fennel begins to soften.

2. Stir through the chilli and cook for 1 minute, then increase the heat, add the wine, let it bubble for a minute, and then tip in the canned tomatoes and stock. Add the saffron, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook gently, partially covered with the lid, for about 45 minutes. Take care that the sauce doesn’t dry out, topping it up with a little hot water if needed.

3. Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth, or transfer in batches to a liquidizer and blend until smooth, and return to a clean pan. Top up with a little hot water – you will probably need about 300ml in total – and simmer gently. Taste and season as needed, add the fish, put the lid back on, and cook on a low heat for 6–10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve with white crusty bread. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds, if you like.

Tip: Freeze up to 1 month