Fish soup
For 8
3 small lobsters, each about 450 g (1 lb) in weight, halved
6 × 150 g (5 oz) fillets of sea bream or red mullet, scaled
500 g (18 oz) mussels or clams, scrubbed
12 live prawns or langoustines
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1–2 tablespoons dried oregano
3 small dried red chillies, crumbled
1.5 kg (3.1/4 lb) ripe plum or other tomatoes, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped
250 ml (8 fl oz) white wine
12 medium Linska or other yellow waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut in to 5 cm (2 in) pieces
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 crostini (see here)
extra virgin olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a very large heavy saucepan big enough to hold all the fish, or two medium to large pans.
Add the onion and fry gently until soft and turning gold, then add the garlic, oregano and chilli, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and continue to cook gently.
When the tomato begins to break up, add the wine, bring to the boil, then add the potato. Cook the potato for 5 minutes, then add the lobsters. Put the lid on and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, then add the bream or mullet fillets and carry on simmering for a further 5 minutes.
Add the mussels or clams and the prawns. Season with salt and pepper, replace the lid, and simmer for a further 5–6 minutes. The mussels or clams should have opened (discard any that remain closed), and the fish should be perfectly cooked. Add the chopped parsley to the liquor.
Serve with crostini drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.