Quindão

Is it a tart? Is it a pudding? Is it a baked decadent Brazilian custard? Well, yes, I guess it's all three. This version should be baked in a large tin/mould and served in slices, unlike it's close relative, the quindim. The baking process sets this sweet treat apart, as it demands the mould to be placed in a baking tray half-filled with warm water. Once you've carefully placed it into a cold oven (no pre-heating), the water slowly heats up and separates the two layers. The firmer heavier 'custard' layer sinks to the bottom (eventually to become the top), while the fluffier coconut texture rises to the top, and forms a golden brown outer crisp - which will become the bottom.

Ingredients: 155g coconut, 285ml milk, 18 egg yolks, 450g caster sugar, 50g butter, 1tsp of vanilla essence

Method: If you're using desiccated coconut, pour into a bowl, and allow to stand with the milk for 15mins before you do anything. Line a tin or cupcake mould with some of the melted butter, and pour the remaining in with the coconut and milk mix. Sprinkle a generous dash of caster sugar in the bottom of the tin, on top of the butter. Put the rest into the bowl, and stir well. Add a dash of vanilla essence, and then add each of the 18 egg yolks, stirring each one into the mix. Leave to stand for an hour. Put the tin or mould into an empty baking tray, stir the mix once more, and pour gently into the tin/mould. Then, before putting the tray into a cold oven, fill the tray half full with warm water - this helps separate the two layers whilst baking. Bake at 200c for approx. 60mins, or until the custard has set and the top is golden brown. Serve in slices after cooling.

Tips: Line the tin/mould well, and allow to cool whilst still in the tin and tray.

Music: Sergio Mendes - Mas Que Nada

Feijoada Black Bean Stew

There are many variations of this dish, which originally comes from Portugal. It's a hearty stew, perhaps the heartiest stew there is, and includes black beans, beef, and pork as it's staples. As with most stews and 'one pot' dishes, it's roots are embedded in quantity and necessity. Therefore the cheaper cuts of pork and beef are often used. We chose to leave out the beef, and include white beans. Equality, yeah. As a dish for cyclists, this might be unbeatable. The proteins from the beans and meat are plentiful, it's a true stew - so it has magical warming powers if you find yourself out on a damp or cold ride, and it leaves you with that wonderful feeling of being completely full and satisfied, but not uncomfortably full. Furthermore, and please forgive us for being uncouth, beans means flatchulence, and on a cold day, that warming methane floating, trapped inside your lycra has warming qualities which shouldn't be underestimated.

Ingredients: We followed Jack Monroe's take on this classic, which feeds 4 and requires; 2 garlic cloves, 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 100g streaky bacon, 300g sausages, 400g black beans, 300g cannelloni beans, 100g tomato puree, 400ml chicken broth, bay leaves, handful of parsley, and 1 large orange.

Method: The night before, thoroughly drain and soak the beans in cold water. On the night, chop the carrots, onion, and garlic, and fry in sunflower oil in a large pan or Dutch oven. Gently fry for 10mins, stirring occasionally. Add the meat, add the beans, and the chicken broth, and bring to an aggressive boil for 4mins. Then, add the sliced orange, cover, and leave at a gentle simmer for approx. 35mins. Check every 10mins for water level, add more if necessary.

Tips: Remove the cannelloni beans for a truer black colouring.

Music: Paint it Black - The Rolling Stones

City Cycling: Copenhagen, Denmark

Stopping at junctions or demounting for intriguing looking cafes required quite the trick. A memorising flurry of jumping, hopping, skipping, and juddering all thrown together. To her credit, it looked well-planned and even scientific. Following a ceremonial traffic light changing, or a warming coffee stop, climbing back on the bike was no smaller feat. Like an unorthodox, though not unattractive gymnast, she ran, hopped, jumped, and finally pedalled away. Sooner or later the secret is bound to come out, so we may as well share it now. Yup, Emily is only 5'2". And when the hotel only has city bikes designed for Danish men of 6' plus, that represents a challenge. So, amidst the order and serenity of cycling in Copenhagen, Emily's 'off and on' technique provided some colour and chaos to an otherwise well organised and plain palette. 

Many travel articles describe Copenhagen as something of a slow burner. Somewhere to persevere with, take time to get to know, and a city to slowly fall in love with. And that's a tall order for a quick weekend visit.

We're all about coffee, food, and cycling, so we'll start with food. Denmark, and particularly Copenhagen, is well-known for it's restaurant scene and wider culinary cultures. It's seen by many as the perfect marriage of the traditional, and the new age faffy, exquisite, delicate, modern, almost scientific approaches in the kitchen. Our budget sadly doesn't stretch to the Noma's of this world, but we did read a a lot about it. After a particularly interesting read in the February 2015 edition of Norwegian Air's in-flight magazine, we sincerely hope that Wassim Hallal finally gets his Michelin Stars. Anyway, I digress. Yes, food. After arriving slightly later than planned, and not had time to research any late supper spots, we strolled and found what looked to be a homely Danish restaurant. 'De Lille Apoteke', homely it was. Homely in the sense of a family Sunday lunch. The food might have been a little sloppy, but it was all very well-meaning. 

After a night's rest at the hotel, we set out on foot. The weather was inclement at best, and drenching everyone to the core. Having noted the contrasting forecast for tomorrow, we declared ourselves 'fair weather cyclists' for the day, and explored parts of the city by strolling, rather than pedalling. Our plan was to 'sound out' and map out highlights for a full day of city cycling the next day. Granola was the starting point, and we did fall a little bit in love with this trendy, yet retro bar/cafe. It's not the kind of kitsch retro, very tasteful, and has the feeling of a Milanese Grand Cafe without the snobbish-ness. It's a great spot to start a days physical activity. Lots of healthy and filling breakfasts served till 12.00, all quite reasonably priced (for Denmark), and they serve great coffee. Perfect fuel for the next 8hours ambling and diving into cafes for some respite from the weather.

Breakfast/brunch filled us up till dinner, and after retiring to the hotel room to dry off, build a den, and watch half of a terrible movie, we were back out on the hunt for dinner. Having spent a whole day and a whole evening in the company of those sensible and logical Danes, we fancied something Italian. A magical sprinkle of chaos and disorder is good for us all, and after hearing those sentiments in a recommendation or two, we sounded out the cities best pizzeria, Forno al legno. It was authentically full of chaos and order, and a very healthy mix of the two. Pleasingly popular with locals, and many local Italians, we enjoyed a birra morretti and watched an epic order of take-away pizzas being compiled next to us. While the wait for one pizza was long, we didn't mind one little bit, and a very genuine tasting pizza proscuitto soon landed on our table. Located in the Federiksberg neighbourhood, Forno al legno is a little jaunt outside the true centre, but entirely worth the detour.  It was loud, messy, and a small tv screamed out a Spanish football match in the corner. The pizzeria apparently looks out on to one of the busiest urban cycling streets in all of Europe. We were skeptical of this, but the homely atmosphere and condensation meant we couldn't prove it either way. By the time we departed, happy, and full of food, it was just about bed time.

Greeted by blue skies and dry cycle lanes the next morning, we awoke and hired two great Danish classic city bikes from the hotel, and departed on the hunt for the Nyhavn area, and breakfast. Now, I love breakfast, and i'm pretty sure i'm not alone in that adoration. It's my favourite meal to eat out, and a good breakfast menu is heaven and hell to me. Heaven because of the endless potential deliciousness and possibility, and hell because unless you're really greedy, there's a choice to be made. Thankfully, at Bistro Heering they offer a very good brunch platter for two. Furthermore, Emily has less of an appetite for pre-noon eating, so it was a win-win situation. Our platter included cold cuts of salami, cheese and chives, forest fruit pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs and bacon, grilled tomatoes, natural yoghurt and muesli, and salmon.

So... sitting comfortably with happily full stomachs, we settled the bill, and it was out into what looked almost like an early spring afternoon. Looks can be deceiving, the wind-chill told it was still very much winter, but with a good hat and scarf, nowhere is too cold. From Nyhavn our route took us east to the freetown of Christiania where we got dismounted and walked around. No photos allowed just in case you get a picture of someone buying soft drugs. It made is grateful to live in Amsterdam. From the town within a city, we crossed back onto the mainland of Copenhagen, and followed the water back past Nyhavn, and north towards the mermaid.

Granted, it was a Sunday, but the quietness of the city was noticeable. Not much in the way of bike traffic, and of what traffic there was, it mostly seemed to be made up of tourists like ourselves. Do the Danes abide by a Sunday sleep-in? Anyway, from the mermaid we did a few laps of the Kastellet before continuing our circuit into the Osterbro neighbourhood, and into the Norrebro neighbourhood. Coming back towards the centre, we stopped at another very good breakfast and brunch restaurant, but this time only for coffee. Restaurant O's has an American theme, but don't let that put you off. After a cup of delightfully warming coffee, we were back on the saddles to be thrown majestically back to the UK. Not by means of a rather rapid flight, but by the terraced houses of Copenhagen's 'Kartoffelraekkerne'. Other than a trip to the cities Peak Performance store, it was a non-eventful and orderly cycle back to the hotel in readiness to board the train to board a plane. A wonderful weekend, they always are with Emily, yet something was missing from a city billed as on-par or even standing next to Amsterdam in terms of it's bike culture. Yes, the designated cycle lanes, traffic lights and infrastructure, but it all felt a little too ordered and joyless. Perhaps it's a harsh judgement. Perhaps in summer there are more people on their bikes, more colour, and more life. But Amsterdam is colourful and lively all year around. Maybe we just chose the wrong Sunday. We'll have to return in the summer to compare. Takk, Copenhagen!

Coconut Fish & Achiote Curry

After braving a northern European winter weekend in Copenhagen, we've decided to warm things up a little bit, and have declared this week 'Brazilian Food Week'. Now, we're fully aware that Brazil isn't particularly famous for it's bike culture, and to our (admittedly limited) knowledge there aren't many famous cyclists to hail from Brazil. Therefore, should you find yourself sitting and scratching your head, wondering why on earth have we declared it Brazil week in the middle of February, fear not. The answer is a simple one: why not? If you're not satisfied with that, then consider the colours, the flavours, the gentle spices, the sheer mix of styles, ingredients, and dominant forces behind Brazils culinary culture. We think you'll find it's the perfect remedy for a chilly and grey week in February in Amsterdam.

Tonights special is, 'Coconut Fish & Achiote Curry'. Achiote is a curious little delight. An inedible fruit, Bixa Orellana, is harvested for it's seeds, and used mostly for it's colouring qualities. The murky world of US Food and Drug Administration uses a lot of it for colouring because it's classified as exempt from certification. Brazil is a lead consumer of achiote for eating purposes, and it's what gives this dish it's warm tones...

(to serve 4 family/friends)

Ingredients: White fish of your choice, 400ml coconut milk, garlic, 1 lime, 1 onion, 3 tomatoes, achiote (seeds & powder), curry powder, red pepper, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and rice (optional).

Method: Marinate the fish in the lime juice and a gentle sprinkle of curry powder for 10mins. Chop up the garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Fry the fish in a quarter of the coconut milk, and add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, curry powder, and achiote seeds. Simmer for 5mins. Carefully turn the fish before adding the red pepper, and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar. Leave to simmer for 15-mins. Serve hot with optional sides of rice, crackers, and/or fresh mango.

Tips: For an orangey colour add more curry power and less achiote, for reds, vice-versa.

Music: Milton Nascimento - Travessia

Zesty Butternut Squash Pangrattato

Though the un-finished bottle of white wine lingered in the the fridge, the crisp Italian orvieto was just about the only thing serving to remind us of yesterday. Despite a relatively blue sky, temperatures here in Amsterdam plummeted back towards zero today, and yesterdays tease of Spring has been unravelled as merely a flash in the pan. 

On a lighter, yet more warming and fulfilling note, we're continuing our 'At Home With Nigel Slater' week, and this evenings special both goes well with the leftover white wine, and warms the soul on a chilly winter evening.

Much like a pancake, the pumpkin is suffering the fate of being allocated a box. A time frame. A solitary and confined period of the calendar where it's the focus of the kitchen. Other than it's designated day, it's forgotten and banished to a page at the back of your recipe book. However, here at Cafe Pump, we try to think a little differently. In a similar stance to celebrating love and San Valentino everyday of the year, the pumpkin is something to use when the urge grabs you, not when the desk diary dictates. Well, Nigel used a pumpkin, but local availability swayed us towards the humble butternut squash. They're closely related to the pumpkin, which means that last paragraph still stands as relevant. Either way, as Nigel states, this dish is all about the marriage of texture and flavour, and it was a popular special indeed...

Ingredients: 1kg butternut squash/pumpkin, 3 cloves garlic, a mild red chilli, zest of half an orange, 1tbsp chopped rosemary leaves, 4 handfuls fresh white breadcrumbs, 40g butter, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Method: Pre-heat your oven to 180c. Hack away at the skin of the squash, and cut into chunks. Steam said chunks until tender at knifepoint. Meanwhile, in a shallow pan, heat oil with garlic (chopped finely) before adding chilli slices, orange zest, and fresh rosemary leaves. Let this delightful concoction heat for a minute or two before adding the parsley and bread crumbs. Once the breadcrumbs are a pale biscuit gold, take off the heat to see to the squash. Transfer the squash to your most loyal roasting tray, and throw in a lump of butter before piling on the breadcrumb mix. Bake for a generous half an hour, or until the breadcrumbs are a rich gold, and the squash tender. Serve and eat. Smile.

Tips: Don't let the garlic brown.

Music: Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks

Warm Chicken & Climbing Bean Salad

Amsterdam put on a good impression of a different season today. The city, bustling with cyclists in any weather, wore a cloudless blue sky. It was a soft blue, delicate, and not quite strong enough to be confused with summer. However, if you stood and looked out your nearest window, you'd be forgiven for thinking Spring was in it's fullest throws. Those cyclists, always visible, seem to swell in number when the sun shines. Their numbers are made up by well-dressed commuters, fixie-ed hipsters, young, old, and, particularly among greener routes leading to countryside bliss, more and more lycra-clad people on road bikes. Cyclists, more often than not, are in the need for something more than fulfilling when it comes to dinner time. Something heavy. Something substantial. For todays special, we're letting Nigel Slater teach us that fulfilling and substantial need not be heavy. This relatively simple chicken salad will provide all you need in terms of proteins and good energy, a somewhat surprising wealth of flavour and taste, and it's almost spring like.

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, 1tbsp olive oil, 1 stalk of rosemary, 200g French beans, 12 stems & leaves of chard, 6 small tomatoes, lemon juice, 1 shallot, mint leaves, salt, and black pepper.

Method: Start with the dressing: grab a jar and throw in the finely chopped shallot, a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil, and a few mint leaves. Seal the jar and shake vigourously. To prepare the chicken, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with rosemary leaves, and gril or roast until the skin is golden. Cover, and set aside. Trim the beans, cut the chard, boil the beans and the chard for 2-3mins. Combine the leaves, the beans, and the dressing. Sit the chicken on top to serve. Enjoy.

Tips: Don't spend your day off looking for chard in February!

Music: Light As A Feather - Chick Corea

Sweet Parsnip & Porcini Mushroom Soup

Emily decided it was to be, 'At Home With Nigel Slater Week' this week, so here we are. A week dedicated to one of our favourite food writers, Mr Nigel Slater. In our humble opinion, Slater is an artist. An artist with a fine array of tools, methods, means, and different medias. Naturally, we admire and enjoy his culinary artistry, but he's equally gifted as a writer. Slater's own often troubled childhood and home environment were what forced him into the kitchin, finding love and warmth with ingredients and recipes, rather than friends and family. Like any true artist, Slater has turned that notion of 'tortured soul' into something beautiful, wholesome, and full of love. Take this 'Sweet Parsnip & Porcini Mushroom Soup' for example...

Ingredients: Handful of dried porcini, 2 onions, 3tbsp olive oil, knob of butter, 2 large parsnips, 1 celery stick, 1.2l stock, and 1 glove of garlic.

Method: Soak the porcini in 300ml of warm water, peel the onions, and roughly chop them. Heat up the oil and butter in a pan. Cup the parsnips into large chunks, and gently fry. They should be evenly but gently toasted, which should take 8-10mins. Pour in the stock, celery, garlic, the porcini, their water, salt, and black pepper. Bring it all to the boil, and leave to simmer for 40mins. Put through a blender until smooth.

Tips: Serve with some good bread, lightly fried with mushrooms on top.

Music:  Warm Love - Van Morrison

Sausage, Spiced Red Cabbage & Parsnip Mash

If the lighter and brighter red tones enjoyed at the start of this #RedWeek stood for a straight froward increase in sex drive and hunger, these deeper and darker reds ooze something more acquired and complex. The humble cabbage, often maligned for an odour more suited to a retirement home, comes to life in this warming dish. Sausages add the substance, and the parsnip mash lends a sophisticated and warming quality. If you've been cycling for the duration of a Dutch winter morning, you'll appreciate this as a reward.

Ingredients: Half a red cabbage, 12g butter, 1 red onion, 1 orange, port, 1 cinnamon stick, 75ml port, 1tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 parsnips, 2 apples, coarse salt, and sausages of your choice.

Method: For the parsnips - chop 2 parsnips into 2cm cubes, and heat a generous amount of butter in a saucepan. Cook one side of the parsnips, till they start to turn brown. Turn them, add the chopped apples, and cover with water. Cook for approx. 20mins, then remove from heat and mash into a beautifully smooth puree texture. For the cabbage - Once the outer leaves are removed, cut half the cabbage into quarters, remove the core, and cut into think strips. Melt the butter in a saucepan and soften the onions for 5mins, add the orange zest and cinnamon stick, and cook for a further 2mins. Thrown in the cabbage, and then pour in the orange juice, port, and 100ml of water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer (keeping the lid on) for approx. 35mins, or until the cabbage is soft. Fry the sausages, and serve while everything is piping hot.

Tips: The cabbage can be prepared a couple of days in advance, and freezes well.

Music: Black Velvet - Alannah Myles (because ours was a little burnt, but still good)

Baked Bacon & Tomato Salad

Did you know that if you're sitting comfortably in the statistical average, colours play an important role in how you act, think, and feel. Blue is known to up your creativity levels, yellow gives a green light for joy and optimism, green is known to rid of stress and induces a state of calm. Colours, and their presentation, can even alter how your food tastes. Powerful stuff. With the day of Saint Valentine swiftly approaching, we had little choice than to go with red as our weekly theme here at Cafe Pump.

Red. Rosso. It's bold. It's powerful. It signals things with a defined and definite statement which cannot be misconstrued. It stands for love, danger, stop signs, sacrifice, blood, courage, and in some places, happiness. After all, it is the first colour in the rainbow. It's also been proven to enhance your attention span, make you hungry, and bolster your sex drive. Here at Cafe Pump we noticed we haven't braved the cold Dutch winter and taken the bikes out since the warm Mallorcan days of Christmas vacation, so we're hoping that the desire to cycle is bolstered as much as the sex drive.

Anyway, first up for this week's specials is this simple yet satisfying 'Baked Bacon & Tomato Salad'. At first glance it might look much fuss about nothing, but while it will never be a hearty and true 'cyclists lunch', it is a testament to that Italian philosophy that with good, fresh ingredients, less is more.

Ingredients: Tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, red pepper, salt, pepper, olive oil, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, red onions, hot sauce, chilli, and cayenne pepper.

Method: In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, basil, sliced onions, red pepper, salt, and pepper, and leave to stand for a few minutes. Pre-heat the oven to a warm 220c, and spread baking paper on the tray. Bake the bacon for 15mins, turning half-way through. In the meantime, mix the dressing by whisking the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, chilli, and hot sauce. Serve with a fresh drizzle of oil, and basil leaves.

Tips: Baked bacon = more taste and (slightly) less fat.

Music: Little Red Rooster - The Rolling Stones

Thai Prawn & Vegetable Broth

This Englishman is a converted fellow. At the outset of this week he was under the illusion that any 'one-pot wonder' would have to be almost earthy dark in colour, filling to the point of trouser un-button-ing, and heavy with both calories and flavours. This Asian dish proves quite the contrary. The lighter tones of prawns compared to read meats, the crisp taste and texture of the veggies, and the bright colours (enhanced by the beautiful simplicity and colours of a perfectly boiled egg) state this is the opposite to an English style stew. Yet, it carries all the flavour, warming qualities, and with just the right amount of 'being-full-up-ness'. Ours is slightly adapted from the X original. Enjoy...

Ingredients: Tin of coconut milk, lemongrass stalk, 2 garlic cloves, 1cm piece of ginger, 1 cauliflower, 2 carrots, 4 lime leaves, 2tbsp tomato puree, 1 tin of plum tomatoes, 1 yellow bell pepper, 2 birds eye chilli, 2tbsp fish sauce, 2 boiled eggs, and large prawns.

Method: For about 5mins, simmer a third of the coconut milk in a large pan with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and chilli. Add the cauliflower, carrots and tomato puree, with another third of the coconut milk, and continue to simmer for approx. 10mins. Next, add the tomatoes, peppers, fish sauce, and the rest of the coconut milk. Simmer for another 10mins. Throw in the prawns 5mins before serving, and serve with half a soft boiled egg, and a generous smattering of fresh coriander.

Tips: Serve with iced water.

Music: Hot Love - Marc Boman & T Rex

Prune & Almond Slow Cooked Lamb

We couldn't let 'One Pot Wonders' week pass without using the tagine. Combined with the more delicate flavours of Mediterranean/North African cooking, the tangine lends a stew an air of sophistication. As with many stews, this one would be absolutely perfect after a fresh winters day on the saddle.

Lamb, naturally, is the focal point of this recipe, and is therefore an area where corners shouldn't be cut. Adapted from a David Tanis recipe, this one calls for the very best lamb shank you can find and/or afford. The lamb shank has become almost chic in recent years, so there wont be too much bother in finding what you're looking for. However, if budget or unavailability get in the way, a lamb shoulder cut into small chunks will also do an admirable job.

As this dish really does have it all, we don't recommend serving it with anything but a generous glass of wine, and bread as fresh as you can get it.

(to serve 4 adults)

Ingredients: Lamb shanks (or shoulder), generous knob of butter, 2 onions, pinch of saffron threads, 4 garlic cloves, thumb-sized piece of ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, 100g gold raisins, 150g pitted prunes, 500ml chicken broth,150g chopped tomatoes, 100g blanched almonds, salt, and black pepper. 

Method: First, pre-heat the oven to 160c/325f, and melt the butter in a large pan. Once melted, add the onions, saffron, and a pinch of salt. As the onions begin to brown, remove from the heat and stir in the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, the raisins, and half the prunes. After a couple of minutes gentle stirring, return to the heat, and add the lamb. After a couple more little moments, add the tomatoes and broth, and slow cook in the oven for approx. 2 hours. When ready, remove from the oven and add the remainder of the prunes and increase the heat to 200c/400f. Leave the lid off to gently brown the meat, and return to the oven for 15mins. Serve with gently fried almonds to garnish.

Tips: Be ready to adapt, and try it with beans and/or spinach for another twist.

Music: Ben L'Oncle Soul - Soul Man

Fennel & Orange Fish Stew

For the second successive morning, we had to scrape ice off the bike saddles this morning. The commute is still in darkness, but at least the chill in the air serves to awaken the body from a cosy slumber. Cycling to work in the winter can be tough. Cycling home, again in darkness, can be even harder. As January turns into February, and spring remains a distant wish, here at Cafe Pump we've declared it 'One-Pot Wonders' week. After a long 9-5 it can be difficult to summon the energy, resources, and time, for a nourishing and hearty evening meal, which means that these quick, hearty, and tasty feasts are more than ideal.

To kick us off, Monday's special was an adaptation of a Marian Burros recipe. The orange flavours lend this one a light zesty, tone, and even a gentle reminder of summer months, while at the same time serving it's warming purposes as a winter stew.

Ingredients: Olive oil, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves. 185ml dry white wine, i can chopped tomatoes, 3tsp tomato puree, fennel seeds, 1 orange, bay leaf, thyme, and white fish fillets. Plus good bread and/or boiled potatoes to serve.

Method: Heat the olive oil in a large pan/Dutch oven. Chop the garlic and onion, and fry till browned in the pan. Add the wine, grated zest of the orange, fennel seeds, tomatoes, puree, salt, pepper, fennel, and thyme, and cook with the lid on for 10-15mins. Stir gently and add the fish (chopped into 4cm cubes), and cook for a further 5-8mins. Serve over boiled potatoes, or with some nice bread.

Tips: Make enough for leftovers, as like any stew, this one is better the next day.

Music: Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis & The Kingpins