Got a thermo cooker? Try this simple smoky seafood soup

This is a smokier take on the classic French seafood stew bouillabaisse. A seafood soup fit for kings and queens (and their families).

Smoky Seafood Soup

Serves 4

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes

Ingredients
a pinch of saffron threads (optional)
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped, fronds reserved and finely chopped, to serve
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 tbsp smoked paprika
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
750ml seafood stock
500g cleaned and debearded mussels
200g raw peeled green prawns
400g boneless, skinless fish fillets, such as salmon or firm white fish, cut into 4cm pieces
slices of sourdough, chargrilled, to serve
aioli, to serve

Method
Soak the saffron, if using, in 1 tbsp of warm water. Meanwhile, chop the fennel for 5 sec/speed 5. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the celery and onion and chop for 5 sec/speed 5. Return the fennel to the mixer bowl and scrape down the side of the bowl.

Add the oil and smoked paprika and season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5 min/120°C/speed 1.

Add the pasta sauce, stock and the saffron and its soaking liquid. Place the mussels in the steaming basket and attach that to the mixer bowl lid. Cook for 15 min/steam mode/speed 2. Put the prawns and fish in the simmering basket and carefully insert it into the mixer bowl. Reattach the steaming basket with the mussels to the mixer bowl lid.

Cook for 5 min/steam mode/speed 1, or until the mussels have popped open and the fish and prawns are cooked through. Divide the soup, then the seafood evenly between the serving bowls. Top with fennel fronds then serve with bread, aioli and a drizzle of oil.

Extracted from Healthy Thermo Cooking for Busy Families by Olivia Andrews (Murdoch Books, approx €20.50). Photography by Jeremy Simons.