Description
A flavorful Italian one-pot seafood dish featuring tender sea bass fillets, squid, mussels, clams, and prawns cooked in a rich tomato, fennel, and white wine sauce. This hearty and aromatic recipe is perfect for seafood lovers looking for a comforting yet sophisticated meal, served with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 fennel bulb, halved and sliced, fronds kept separate to garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ red chilli, chopped
- 250g cleaned squid, sliced into rings
- bunch basil, leaves and stalks separated, stalks tied together, leaves roughly chopped
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 150ml white wine
- 2 large handfuls of mussels or clams
- 8 large raw prawns (whole)
- 4 sea bass fillets (about 140g/5oz each)
- Crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the Base: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel, garlic, and chopped red chilli to the pan. Fry gently until the fennel is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add Squid and Aromatics: Stir in the squid rings and the basil stalks tied together. Follow by adding the canned chopped tomatoes and white wine. Give everything a good stir to combine thoroughly.
- Simmer the Sauce: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with the lid, and let the mixture simmer gently for 35 minutes. This allows the squid to become tender and the sauce to thicken while melding all the flavors together.
- Add Shellfish and Sea Bass: After the sauce has thickened, season it with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the mussels or clams and the whole raw prawns evenly over the sauce. Lay the sea bass fillets on top.
- Cook Seafood: Cover the pan again, increase the heat to high, and cook hard for 5 minutes. This will steam the shellfish and cook the sea bass through, ensuring all seafood is tender and perfectly cooked.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from heat and sprinkle with the chopped basil leaves and fennel fronds. Serve the seafood Italian one-pot immediately with crusty bread to mop up the flavorful sauce.
Notes
- Use fresh cleaned squid for the best texture and flavor.
- If you cannot find mussels or clams, you can use just one type of shellfish or substitute with cockles.
- Adjust the amount of chilli according to your preferred spice level.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the seafood at its freshest.
- Crusty bread is recommended to soak up the delicious tomato and seafood sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: sea bass, seafood, one pot, Italian, squid, mussels, prawns, tomato sauce, fennel, white wine
