Sprinkle the cod with ½ teaspoon of salt and set aside. Heat the olive oil over a moderate heat in a large pan, and soften the onion, celery, pepper, and garlic, together with the pimenton or red pepper flakes. Let them cook gently, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, and fennel seeds, and simmer until the liquid has reduced to a sauce, approximately 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the wine into another large pan and bring to a boil. Throw in the mussels and let them cook, covered, for approximately 5 minutes. Take a look to check if they have all opened and remove from the heat as soon as they are really wide open. (Discard any that remain closed.)

All these steps can be prepared in advance.

When you are ready to cook the fish, reheat the rich vegetable stew and the mussels in their juice. Add the cod and the shrimp to the vegetables and cook gently for 3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the pan, add a little of the mussel juice. Taste for seasoning. Turn the cod over carefully, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. The shrimp should turn pink and the cod should be flaking.

Add the mussels and their juice, season with salt and pepper if necessary, and stir carefully with a large metal spoon, without breaking up the fish too much. (You can, if you prefer, transfer the cod to soup bowls beforehand so that the pieces remain whole.) Remove the bay leaf and sprinkle over the parsley. Ladle into hot, flat soup bowls and put large bowls on the table for the shells. You can eat this soup with pain de champagne (country bread) and unsalted (sweet) butter.

French Country Cooking p114

Caroline Conran’s