Cassolette de la mer

Last month we spent a wonderful long weekend in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, a gorgeously fashionable seaside town in the north of France with many great restaurants and lovely hotels. We enjoyed walks on the beach, cocktails, lots of sun and plenty of seafood. Although our stay only lasted a mere four days (ending with a visit to Lille), it felt like we had been there much longer. We certainly made the most out of every second -- which really wasn't all that difficult!
One of the meals I had at Restaurant Le Matisse (68 rue de Metz) was a creamy seafood stew flavored with saffron. The sauce was velvety and absolutely stunning. Perhaps, one of the most memorable meals I had while there. So memorable, that I decided to recreate it and share it with you. And please note that this is a quick (simplified) weekday version. My version.

Cassolette de la mer
Serves 4

250 g salmon
600 ml fish stock
good pinch of saffron
knob of butter
1 tbsp mild olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
500 g fruits de mer
100 ml white wine
250 g prawns
1 tsp dried dill
pinch of turmeric
100 ml single cream

Poach the salmon in the stock and cut into large pieces. Reserve 500 ml of the stock and soak the saffron in about 2 tbsps once cooled. Heat the butter and oil in a large casserole and gently sweat the shallots and garlic. Increase the heat, add the fruits de mer and toss for about 2 minutes. Deglaze with the wine. Now add the salmon back in along with the 500 ml reserved stock, prawns, dille, turmeric and cream. Let the dish cook for another few minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, crisp veg and a nice Riesling. Playing this while you eat is of course entirely optional, though wholeheartedly recommended.