This prawn and clam stew was the main dish within my six-course tasting menu for the Chilean-inspired supper club at Brown and Green in Crystal Palace. It has a paprika and tomato base, which can be made ahead, and then the prawns and clams or roasted aubergine and tofu, if you are going for the vegan version, can be added in the last cook before serving. The dish is served with sourdough bread and a traditional Chilean avocado and celery salad.
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Serves 6
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600g tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic clove, chopped
3 onions, quartered
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
4 tbsp coriander, chopped
2 tbsp chopped sage
1 bay leaf
300ml white wine
3 red and green peppers, cored and chopped
900ml water
3 avocados, stoned, peeled and roughly chopped
4 sticks of celery, finely sliced
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp vegetable oil
12 sage leaves, plus sage flowers, for garnish
12 king prawns
24 clams
sea salt and black pepper
sourdough, to serve
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Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 10 mins. Drain and refresh in cold water, then cored and peel the tomatoes, discarding the cores and skin.
Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic, onions and paprika, and cook for 3 mins. Add half of the coriander, the chopped sage and bay leaf, and stir in the white wine and simmer for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes, peppers and new potatoes and water. Cook, with lid on, for 20 mins.
In the meantime, combine the avocados and celery in a serving bowl, and cover with the lemon juice. Season with salt and paper and add both the remaining olive oil and coriander. Set aside until you serve. Pour the vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat until the oil is sizzling. Cook the sage leaves for 1-2 mins or until they change colour to a dark green. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen roll until needed.
Add the prawns and clams to the tomato stew, and cook for 5 mins, or until the clams open and the prawns are cooked through. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and sage flowers. Serve with sourdough and the avocado and celery salad.
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN OPTION: Before preparing the tomatoes, cut up 1 large aubergine and 2 x 250g blocks of smoked tofu into blocks and place in an oven tray. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of paprika and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning the pieces over with tongs every so often, for 30 mins, until the sides of the aubergine and tofu are crispy. Add the roasted aubergine and tofu to the stew in the place of prawns and clams, and continue with the recipe.
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