Fish stew with fennel

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 450 g cod fillet(s)
• 450 g pollock fillet(s)
• 200 g shrimp tails
• 500 g fennel
• 1 carrot(s)
• 250 g mushrooms
• 1.4 liters of fish stock
• 60 ml Sherry, dry
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 3 shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tomatoes
• 4 stalks of thyme
• 5 sprigs of parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ lemon(s), zest of which
• 60 g butter
• Cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• ½ tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Clean the fennel and slice it with a kitchen slicer. Clean the carrot and cut into small cubes. Peel the onions and garlic and chop finely. Clean the mushrooms and slice them into thin pieces. Peel the tomatoes, deseed the flesh and dice the flesh. Check the fish for bones and cut into pieces approx. 4 x 4 cm. Check the prawn tails for any remaining intestines and remove any that are present. In a suitably large pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the butter. Add the fennel, carrot and mushrooms and cook for approx. 5 minutes. Deglaze with the sherry, add the white wine and simmer for approx. 3 minutes. Pour in the fish stock and add the spices thyme, bay leaf and parsley and simmer gently for approx. 20 minutes. If it is too watery, thicken the liquid with the cornstarch. Add the fish, shrimp, and diced tomatoes and let them simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Use a zester to zest the ¼ lemon directly into the fish pot. Season to taste with cayenne pepper, pepper, and salt. Serve with a lemon wedge and freshly chopped dill.