Cioppino

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 205 °C (top and bottom heat) and line a baking tray with foil. Heat 60 ml of the oil in a large pot over medium heat, soften the shallots and fennel for about 8 minutes, then cook the garlic with them for 1 minute without letting it colour.
2. Pour in the wine, turn up the heat and reduce by about half in 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, clam juice, water, sugar, 1 tsp salt, chilli flakes, oregano and the thyme sprigs, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, toss the fish pieces with the remaining 30 ml oil and ¾ tsp salt, lay them on the tray and cook in the oven for about 10 minutes until just done. Cover and keep warm.
5. Remove the thyme sprigs from the broth and stir in the butter. Add the clams, bring the broth back to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 6 minutes until most of the clams have opened.
6. Fold in the prawns, bring back to the boil and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes until the prawns are cooked through and all the clams have opened. Discard any clams that stay closed.
7. Stir in the fresh thyme and taste the broth. Divide the warm fish among four deep bowls, spoon over the broth, clams and prawns, sprinkle with parsley and serve with bread; put out a bowl for the clam shells.

Drink with it

• White wine · excellent match

  Sauvignon Blanc or Vermentino

  Citrus freshness and acidity stand up to the tomato, and the green note picks up the fennel and thyme, leaving the clams and prawns in the foreground.

  Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing ↗

• Red wine · excellent match

  Light Pinot Noir or Sangiovese, lightly chilled

  High acidity, low tannin: the red wine is close to the tomato broth and leaves no metallic note with the seafood.

• Rosé · excellent match

  Dry rosé from Provence

  Red berry fruit and fresh acidity pick up the tomato and let the prawns and fish keep their sweetness.

• Pale lager · good match

  Pale lager or Pils, well chilled

  Carbonation and fine bitterness refresh after the olive oil and butter in the broth.

  Pils or Helles: What's the Difference? ↗