A light mussel, monkfish and prawn soup in a reduced fish stock and white wine broth, seasoned with bay leaf and saffron, is easy, healthy, and yet lovely for a dinner party. Serve with a rustic rosemary bread.
Peel the prawns, reserving the shells; set aside. Pour the fish stock and white wine into a saucepan, add the prawn shells and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the stock is reduced by about 1/8 in volume, about 15 minutes. Strain the stock to remove the shells.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion, shallots, red pepper and garlic gently to soften but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, saffron, bay leaf and thyme and bring to the boil.
Add the potatoes to the pan, reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, monkfish and fresh mussels. Simmer until the mussel shells open. Add the prawns and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Discard any mussels that are not open, stir gently, and serve.