Modern Provencal Fish Stew

For the chermoula - Place cumin and coriander seeds in a frypan and toast. Pick parsley and coriander to create a cup. Wash and dry well. I do this in a salad spinner, but you can wash by hand and dry on a towel. Peel and roughly chop garlic. Traditionally, this is done in a mortar and pestle, but I am using a mini chopper. Place the garlic in the chopper bowl, grate in the lemon rind, and add the juice. Add the toasted cumin, coriander, paprika, red wine vinegar, and turmeric, then pour over ¼ cup of the oil. Add the fresh parsley and coriander before blitzing. If the chopper is too small, add half the parsley and coriander, blitz, then add the rest and blitz again. Wipe down the sides and check for consistency. If too pasty, add the remaining oil. The consistency needs to be more sauce-like. Spread some of the sauce over the bottom of a non-reactive dish, large enough to hold the fish. Layer the fish on top, coating well in the chermoula. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Prepare the soup base.

Soup Base – Place the stock powder and water in a large, shallow pan, place over gentle heat, and grate in the ginger. Bring to a simmer while you prepare the vegetables. Prepare the vegetables. I like to leave the skin on the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Add the potatoes to the simmering stock. Peel the carrots and cut on a rolling cut (cut at a 45-degree angle, roll a quarter turn, then cut again). Cutting this way increases the surface area and adds interest. Add the carrots to the potatoes. Peel the onion, cut it in half, place the cut side down, and cut into wedges about the size of an orange segment.  Clean and chop the celery. Take the stalk end of the zucchini and cut the rest in a rolling cut. Drain the baby corn if using tinned and cut each stalk in half at a 45-degree angle. Add the celery and onions to the potatoes and carrots. Simmer gently until the onion is translucent, and add the zucchini.

Stir through and test the potato. These should be fork-tender.  Simmer a little longer if the potatoes are too firm. Add the baby corn, stir through, and test the potatoes again. When the potatoes are just fork-tender and cooked through, lay the fish on top and add all the chermoula over it. Simmer gently; this will steam the fish. You can cover with a lid to speed this up. If your pan is large, you can turn it around on the stove to ensure even heat. Check the fish every few minutes.  When cooked, it will be white and flake slightly. 

Serve the fish with the vegetables and some of the soup. Dollop with aioli.