Brazilian-style Fish Soup by Ray McVinnie

Dressing
150g cherry tomatoes
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
large pinch chilli flakes
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, skins rubbed off
1 bought chargrilled red capsicum, (I use the Lindos or Olive Lady brand that comes in a jar – drain well)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 200°C
Place the tomatoes and garlic on a small roasting tray.
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and rub all over the tomatoes and garlic.
Sprinkle the chilli flakes over everything and mix well.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are collapsing and the garlic browned and soft.
Remove from the oven, cool and place everything in a food processor with the hazelnuts, capsicum, the remaining 3 tablespoons of the oil and the vinegar.
Blend to a coarse paste, taste and season with salt. Reserve.

Soup
6 tablespoons NZ extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, diced 1cm
1 stick celery, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
large pinch chilli flakes
5cm piece fresh turmeric, peeled and finely chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes in juice
500ml Campbell’s chicken stock
12 live mussels, well scrubbed, beards removed
400g skinned, boned firm white fish fillets, cut into 10cm pieces
24 scallops
75ml Kara coconut cream
1 red chilli thinly sliced
coriander sprigs and lime halves for serving

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes and turmeric
Fry gently for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft.
Add the tomatoes and stock, mix well, bring to the boil and simmer 5 minutes.
Add the mussels and let them open, removing them as they do to a large bowl.
Let them cool and remove the shells and then pull the brown tongue and its white root from each mussel. Reserve.
Taste the broth, season with salt if necessary and keep at a low simmer.
Meanwhile, toss the fish and scallops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and panfry over high until just cooked and browned.
Remove the fish and scallops to a large, warm serving bowl and add the mussels.
Bring the broth back to the boil.
Pour the broth over the fish and mussels.
Drizzle the coconut cream over everything
Sprinkle the chilli and coriander on top and serve with lime halves for squeezing.
Serve the dressing in a bowl on the side.
Each person puts a dollop of dressing on their soup before eating.