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Paprika seafood soup

This is a simple (if slightly labour intensive) method to make a deep and flavoursome seafood soup.

Ingredients

• Whole prawns, 6
• Cod fillet (or other firm white fish), ~250g
• Crab claw
• Whole tomatoes, 400g tin
• Onion, 1 medium, chopped
• Garlic, ~5 cloves, bashed
• Paprika, 2 tsp
• Ground cumin, 1 tsp
• Smoked paprika, ½ tsp
• Ground chilli, ½ tsp
• Celery salt, ½ tsp
• Tomato purée, 1 splodge
• Harissa, 1 splodge
• Lemon, 1, juiced
• Chicken stock, 1 pint
• Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Take the prawns, remove the the heads and shells, set aside. Devein the prawn tails then pop in the fridge.
2. Take the cod, remove any skin, cut into chunks then pop in the fridge.
3. Blend the tomatoes until a smooth consistency then set aside.
4. Take a good-sized pan, put on a medium-high heat, add a touch of vegetable oil and the onions and cook until they start to turn translucent.
5. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes.
6. Add the paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, ground chilli and celery salt, stir well then cook for a few minutes.
7. Add a splodge of tomato purée, a splodge of harissa, stir well then cook for a few minutes.
8. Add the prawn heads/shells, crab claw, stir well then cook for a few minutes.
9. Add the blended tomatoes, chicken stock, salt and pepper then stir well.
10. Put the lid on the pan and simmer for ~45 minutes until the soup is looking a rich dark red.
11. Pass the contents of the pan through a sieve. I’d recommend using a sturdy ladle to press all the delicious juices out! Discard the prawn heads/shells and the crab claw¹ and put the strained soup back in the pan.
12. Bring the soup back to a simmer then add the prawn tails and cod.
13. Cook for ~5 minutes or until the prawns and cod are done.
14. Ladle into a deep bowl and finish with finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.