If it’s a bit chilly outside but you’re still looking for a great way to incorporate seafood into your diet, then this Sicilian-inspired fish stew is a great option. It’s achingly simple to make, comes together in one pot and it’s packed full of interesting flavours inspired by Italy’s largest island!
A bit more hearty but similar in flavour to my Sicilian couscous recipe, you can use any fish you’d like here, as well. I developed the recipe using firm white fish fillets (barramundi), however, it would be great with shellfish or even a mix!
How to Make Sicilian-Style Fish Stew
This is a one-pot meal, but it packs a lot of flavour in that one pot! Start by adding a bit of olive oil to a large saucepan.
To the pan, also toss in a couple of chopped anchovy fillets (for umami), some chili flakes and some fennel seeds. Set the pan over medium heat and gently heat up the oil.
As soon as the oil begins shimmering and sizzling around the anchovies, add a finely chopped onion, some celery and a fresh fennel bulb.
Season generously with salt and cook, stirring every so often, until the veggies begin to take on some colour – this will take about 7 to 10 minutes.
Once you’ve reached this stage, add in some minced garlic, a bit of tomato paste and some lemon zest. Cook this for a couple of minutes longer before deglazing with dry white wine.
Let the strong alcoholic smell of the wine cook off and the liquid reduce for a few minutes before you stir in some chicken or veggie stock, some crushed whole canned tomatoes and some capers and sultanas.
Bring all of this to a simmer and allow to bubble away for about 10 minutes, just to bring all of the flavours together.
Now it’s time to add your fish! If you’re just using a fish fillet, cut it into small pieces and gently lower them into the simmering soup.
Gently simmer until the fish is completely cooked through – how long this takes can depend on the kind of fish you’re using and how thick the pieces are. Assume around 5 to 10 minutes.
Once the fish is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and stir in some fresh chopped parsley and, if you think it needs it, a squeeze of lemon juice! Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper where needed.
Now you can go ahead and serve! It’s great with just some crusty bread or it would be excellent with a side of couscous.
Sicilian Fish Stew
Ingredients
- 2 anchovy fillets roughly chopped
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- ½ bulb fennel finely chopped, fronds reserved
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 60 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes crushed with hands
- 3 tbsp sultanas/golden raisins
- 2 tbsp capers drained & rinsed
- 300 g (10 ½ oz) firm white fish fillets such as sea bass or barramundi
- 20 g (⅓ cup) flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Add 3 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet along with the anchovy fillets, chili flakes and fennel seeds. Set over medium heat. As the oil begins to heat up, gently stir to encourage the anchovies to dissolve. Once shimmering, add the onion, celery and fennel bulb along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every so often, until the veggies begin to take on colour – about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste and lemon zest and cook until very fragrant and the tomato paste begins to darken, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Pour over the wine and cook until the strong alcoholic smell has dissipated and the liquid has reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in stock, tomatoes, sultanas and capers. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, just for the flavours to meld.
- Meanwhile, cut the fish into 5cm (2in) pieces. Gently add the fish to the soup. Simmer until the fish is cooked through – about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
- Off heat, stir in the parsley. Serve immediately, topping with more parsley and the chopped fennel fronds.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bursting with Sicilian flavours, this fish stew is super simple to make and incredibly warming and hearty.
Are you after a great fish stew recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
