Seafood Stew with Smoked Chili Aioli

This aromatic Mediterranean style stew is so simple to prepare and yet when presented at the dinner table, your family or friends will think you have spent the entire day in the kitchen! The added flavors of chilies and smoked paprika to the aioli gives this stew a bit of a kick. Ailoi (pronounced ahy-oh-lee) is a velvety smooth mayonnaise made up of egg, garlic and olive oil and is traditionally served with boiled vegetables, seafood or fish.

Serves 8
recipe from Good Taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large brown onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 x 410g cans chopped tomatoes
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
4 strips orange rind, white pith removed
1kg prawns, peeled leaving tails intact, deveined
1kg tuna steaks, cut into 3cm pieces
mashed potato to serve

Smoked Chili Aioli
4 fresh red chilies
2 x 200g cartons aioli
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

To make the smoked chili aioli, preheat grill on high. Thread the chilies onto metal skewers. Cook under grill, turning occasionally with tongs, 3-5 minutes or until charred and blistered. Transfer to a sealable plastic bag and set aside for 5 minutes (this helps to lift the skin). Peel the skin from the chilies and coarsely chop the flesh (scrape out the seeds before chopping if you want to remove most of the heat). Place in a food processor and add aioli, paprika and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft and light golden. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes or until the wine is reduced by half. Add tomatoes, bay leaves and orange rind. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 50 minutes.

Stir in the prawns and tuna. Cook, uncovered for 5 minutes or until the prawns change color and the tuna is cooked through. Set aside for 5 minutes to stand. Divide the mashed potato among bowls and top with the stew. Add a dollop of the aioli and thyme leaves.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: In lieu of mashed potatoes, I served the stew with a soft polenta (made with milk instead of water to give the polenta a whiter look) which was absolutely delicious! I felt the tuna was overcooked so next time I would add it in the rest period as we like our tuna rare in the middle.