Delicious fish stew with CREAM SAUCE

This delicious one-pot dish is all about the sumptuous flavours of fish. Here is a perfect and easy recipe to make with mouth-watering results every time.

Ingredients:

• 1kg assorted white fish roughly cut (such as tilapia or Nile perch)

• 2 white onions, sliced

• 15ml/ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus a few leaves to garnish

• 225g mushrooms

• 225g fresh skinned tomatoes, chopped

• 10ml /2 teaspoon flour

• 15g butter/ margarine

• 300ml fish stock

• 150ml fresh cream

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Step one: Place the fish in a stewing pot with parsley, mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste.

Step two: In a separate bowl, work the flour into the butter with a fork. Heat the fish stock and stir in the flour and butter mixture, a little at a time. Cook, stirring, until it has thickened slightly.

Step three: Add the fish stock mixture and cream to the fish and mix gently. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until fish is cooked through.

Step four: Serve at once with starch of choice like rice, chapati, mukimo, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or ugali

Serves four to six

Kitchen Tips:

Fish stock forms the basis of many dishes, particularly fish soups and sauces. It is usually made with fish bones and fish heads and finely chopped mirepoix, which is a mixture of chopped vegetables such as carrots, celery and onions. This fish stock should be simmered for 20 to 25 minutes; cooking longer than that spoils the flavour. Make sure fish, which is classified as white meat, is well cooked to avoid food poisoning.

Simmering is a food preparation technique in which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water (which is 100°C or 212 °F at average sea level air pressure), but higher than poaching temperature. To keep a pot simmering, one brings it to a boil and then reduces the heat to a point where the formation of bubbles has almost ceased, typically a water temperature of about 94 °C (200 °F).