Matelote (French Fish Stew in Red Wine)

• 60 g Unsalted butter
• 3 medium Shallot
• 300 g Cremini mushrooms
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée
• 500 ml Dry Red Wine
• 1 ¼ tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 700 g White fish fillet, skinless
• 15 g Fresh parsley

1. Cut the shallots into thin slices, slice the mushrooms, and finely chop the garlic. Cut the fish into large, even pieces so it cooks gently without breaking up. Finely chop the parsley and set aside.
2. Melt 40 g of the unsalted butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until they release their liquid and begin to colour.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute to take off the raw edge. Pour in the dry red wine, then add the fine sea salt and black pepper.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce slightly and round out the flavour. The sauce should smell less alcoholic and look a little glossy. Keep the heat low so it never boils hard.
5. Slide in the fish in a single layer, spooning a little sauce over the top. Poach at the gentlest simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until the fish is just opaque and flakes easily. Lift the fish out to a warm plate if you need to finish the sauce.
6. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining 20 g unsalted butter a little at a time to enrich the sauce without splitting. Stir in most of the fresh parsley, then return the fish to the pot to warm through for 1 minute. Taste and adjust with a pinch more fine sea salt or black pepper if needed, then serve hot with the remaining parsley scattered over.

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