Grilled Red Pepper Stew, Paprika Prawns and Gremolata Crumb

Instructions

The Stew

• 1)

  Prepping the peppers

  Option1: If using a gas stove lay the peppers directly on the flame and char on all sides, rotating them with a pair of tongs. This will take about 10 minutes.

• 2)

  Option2: If using an oven, slice the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and lay them cut side down on a lined baking tray. Roast for 40 minutes at 240°C until charred.

• 3)

  Place it in a sealable container, close and let steam for 10 minutes after which the blackened skin can be peeled off easily using your hands or a spoon. No worries if a few charred bits stay behind, this is extra flavour!

• 4)

  Holding the pepper above the pan, carefully slice a hole into the bottom and let the juices drip into the sauce. This is all flavour! Slice the peppers into strips and set half of them aside for later. Add the other half into a blender together with the tomatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, pepper, salt and the fresh herbs. Blend until smooth, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

• 5)

  The rest of the sauce

  While the peppers are steaming you can work on the rest of the sauce. Heat a good glug of olive oil into a large sauce pan. Add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Add the celery and fennel, sauté for another 3 minutes until starting to soften.

• 6)

  Add the anchovies (or the tomato paste if keeping it vegan) and stir into the onion mix. Let the anchovies (or tomato paste) dissolve  while stirring, ± 2 minutes.

• 7)

  Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, regular paprika, chili flakes (if using) and the thyme. Stir to coat.

• 8)

  Add the sliced peppers, can of tomatoes, a can of water, the stock cube and sugar and bring to a low simmer. Let bubbel away for 15 minutes while you stir now and then.

• 9)

  Add the cubed potatoes and let them cook in the sauce for another 20 minutes until tender.

• 10)

  Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with pepper, salt, sugar and / or lemon juice.

Gremolata crumbs

• 1)

  Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and then add the bread crumbs. Toast until brown and crispy, ± 5 minutes.

• 2)

  Add the lemon zest, parsley, pepper and salt and stir to mix well. Remove from the heat and set aside.

The Prawns

• 1)

  Mix the prawns with the rest of the marinade ingredients and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes, but up to 2 hours is great too.

• 2)

  Once the rest stew is ready (see instructions below), reheat the frying pan in which you toasted the bread crumbs. When very hot, pour the prawns into the pan, making sure they don’t overlap. Let them brown and caramelise on 1 side without moving them around in the pan. ± 2 minutes, flip them and finish on the other side for another minute until just cooked through.

To serve

• 1)

  Divide the stew over the plates, top with the prawns and sprinkle with the gremolata crumbs. Add an extra drizzle of olive oil and some pepper and salt to finish it off. Serve with some fresh crusty bread to soak up the juices.