The slow food movement was founded in 1989
as a reaction against the rise of fast food and an increasingly rapid-paced world.
The movement aims to bring the focus back to local food traditions, make people
aware of where the food they eat comes from, how it should taste and how their
food choices affect the rest of the world.
There is the belief that if we are all aware and take
responsibility for our own actions when it comes to the food we eat, that we
can then influence the global food system.
We are the food we eat but we have become disconnected from
it that so much comes down to convenience and not about taking time to really
nourish our bodies. This can have a devastating effect on all of us in the long
run. By selecting locally grown, organic food where possible we cut down on air
miles, waste and unnecessary use of chemicals.
Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing with you simple, but
delicious recipes you can take your time over to prepare and enjoy with
friends.
To give you a taste of things to come, we’d like to share
the recipe for spicy Mediterranean fish stew.
Ingredients:
- 3
tbsp olive oil
- 1
large onion, sliced
- 2
garlic cloves, sliced
- 1
red chilli, finely chopped
- 2
tbsp tomato purée
- 1kg
tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 200ml
white wine
- 350ml
fish stock
- 3
strips orange zest
- 1kg
skinless halibut fillets, cut into large chunks
- 500g
clams
- 400g
large raw prawns
- Handful
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
For the garlic toasts:
- 1
large ciabatta loaf, cut into 1cm slices
- 5
tbsp olive oil
- 2
garlic cloves halved
Method:
Heat the oil in a wide, deep frying pan. Add the onion and
cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes until softened. Stir through the garlic
and chili and cook a couple of minutes more. Add the tomato purée and
tomatoes. Turn up the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring until the
tomatoes are pulpy. Pour over the wine and cook for 10 minutes more until most
of it has boiled away.
Add the fish stock and orange zest and heat until gently
simmering. Nestle the halibut chunks into the liquid and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the clams and prawns and cook for 5 minutes more until the fish is cooked
through and the clams have opened (discard any that haven’t). Sprinkle the
parsley over the stew and serve with the garlic toasts.
To make the garlic toasts, drizzle the bread with oil, then
griddle or grill until golden all over. While the toasts are still hot, rub
them with garlic and set aside.
Share, savour, enjoy!