This is a fabulous recipe, provided by Peter Wolfe as part of the Vietnam Taste it Tour

To read more see our blog post:

http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com/blog/?p=157

Ingredients...

1kg of 2 varieties of fish: 1 white fillet e.g. snapper or sweetlip and 1 firm fillet e.g. eel, stingray or monkfish
12 green prawns
1 large green crab
1kg of any or all of: mussels, pippies, cockles or clams
2 teaspoons fresh tumeric
2 teaspoons fresh garlic
½ bunch dill or fennel
½ bunch fresh coriander
4 sticks celery
1 large onion
500g tomato
Salt, white pepper to taste
4 tablespoons tomato paste
250ml sherry or rice wine
50ml brandy or rice spirit
100ml oil 100g or butter
Stock cube (optional)

Method... 

Fillet the white fish retaining the head and bones. Peel prawns retaining the shells. Clean crab, retain shells. Wash and beard mussels etc. Finely chop turmeric, garlic, coriander (leaves and root). Keep these separate. Coarsely chop celery including leaves, onion and tomato.

Place fish bones in 2 litres cold water with coriander root. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Break crab and prawn shells into small pieces then place them in a large pot with the butter or oil and half the chopped vegetables. Fry these gently until vegetables soften and shells turn a brilliant red. Then add the garlic, turmeric and tomato paste . Fry for two more minutes. Flambé with brandy , add sherry or rice wine then tip in the fish stock including heads and bones. Simmer this until it has reduced by 50%. Strain then place stock in a clean pot and add remaining vegetables and top with : fish fillets cut in serve size pieces, the crab broken into portions making sure you crack the claws for easy eating, follow these with the prawns and shellfish, top with the coriander leaf and diced tomato.

When the fish is cooked, serve.