Catalan Fish Stew from Sud de France by Caroline Conran

Ingredients

• salt, pepper
• freshly chopped parsley
• 500 g small potatoes in their skins, thickly sliced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped or 3 tbsp tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 fresh green or red chillies, seeds removed and chopped
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 300 g raw prawns or mussels, or a mixture of both (optional)
• 4-5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 litre fish stock, or 750 ml water and 250 g white wine
• ½ tsp dried or fresh thyme leaves
• 3-4 bay leaves
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1 kilo assorted fish, cleaned and cut into thick slices