In this monthly column, @alexandradudley shares delicious recipes for chic entertaining. This time, it’s a deeply flavourful & comforting hake, prawn & squid stew... INGREDIENTS 3 tbsp of olive oil 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or crushed 1 good pinch of saffron 1 tsp of Aleppo pepper (or dried chilli or pepper flakes) 1 tbsp of tomato puree 1 large bay leaf 1 glass of dry white wine 200ml of fish stock 400g of chopped tomatoes 150g of filleted hake 6 prawns, shelled and deveined 1 squid Small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped 1 lemon, zested Salt and pepper METHOD Finely slice your fennel and red pepper. In a large heavy based, deep pan heat the olive oil. Fry the fennel and pepper for about ten minutes until soft. Let it catch every so often but don’t let it burn. Add the garlic, saffron, Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes, tomato puree and bay leaf and cook for about a minute stirring to combine. Pour in the wine and let it cook off and reduce a little (2-3 minutes). Pour in the fish stock and chopped tomatoes. Stir and bring to the boil before reducing the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes stirring every so often. It should thicken slightly. While the stew base cooks, prepare your fish making sure to devein the prawns. Chop the hake into roughly inch size pieces and slice the squid into roughly 1cm rings. Check the stew base for seasoning and season to taste. I usually add a good dose of black pepper at this point. Add the chopped hake to the stew first and stir to coat. Then add the prawns and squid. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes until the prawns are opaque then allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving. Divide into bowls. Top with the chopped parsley and serve with fresh lemon wedges.