Bullit de peix

Step 1: Heat the 5 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Cook the 1 onion and 1 green pepper for 10 minutes until soft, add the 4 cloves garlic for 1 minute and the 2 ripe tomatoes for 5 minutes until jammy. Stir in the 1 tsp sweet paprika.

Step 2: Pour in the 8 ¼ cups water with the ½ tsp saffron threads, 2 tsp salt and 3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley and bring to the boil. Add the 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until almost tender.

Step 3: Lower the heat so the broth barely trembles. Slip in the 2 ¼ lb firm white fish steaks (grouper, scorpionfish, monkfish, John Dory) and poach for 8–10 minutes until the flesh is opaque all the way through and flakes from the bone. A common mistake is boiling the fish hard; it breaks into shreds and the broth goes cloudy.

Step 4: Lift the fish and potatoes onto a warm platter with a ladle of broth over them. Serve as the first course with the 4 oz allioli (garlic and oil sauce).

Step 5: Strain the broth; you need about 1.2 litres (top up with water if short). Bring it back to the boil in a wide pan, stir in the 10 ½ oz short-grain rice (bomba or similar) and cook for 17–18 minutes, without stirring after the first minute, until the rice is tender and the broth has been absorbed, leaving it just moist.

Step 6: Rest the rice for 3 minutes off the heat and serve it as the second course, with the rest of the allioli.