So this was an easy recipe as all the shellfish was in my freezer so I could take a handful out of each and it defrosts really quickly. I love fresh fish but I also think it is handy to have some frozen backups too. This tagine was delicious the aniseed flavour from the fennel and warmth from the ginger. The spices gave it a nice delicate smokiness and the shellfish added sweetness.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 Fennel Bulb
• 6 raw peeled and deveined king prawns
• 2 banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
• 25g ginger, finely chopped (I leave the skin on mine)
• Pinch of saffron
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• Tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 squid rings, fresh of defrosted
• 4 queenie scallops, fresh or defrosted, sliced in half lengthways
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• Sea salt and black pepper for seasoning

Directions

1. Remove the tops from the fennel and slice into quarters. Slice each quarter into ½ cm slices.
2. Place the sliced fennel in a bowl add a few cm of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan or tagine. Add the prawns and cook for 2-3 minutes until opaque. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. In the same pan add the shallots, garlic, ginger and a pinch of saffron cook on a medium heat for a few minutes or until the shallots start to soften. Add the smoked paprika and stir to coat the pan ingredients.
5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Drain the fennel and heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan until smoking. Fry the fennel for 4-5 minutes until it starts to brown.
7. Add the tomato sauce to the fennel. Add the squid and the scallops and simmer for 2 minutes. Add in the cooked prawns and coriander give it a stir and serve. Enjoy.