• Sauté the onion, garlic, paprika, and chili pepper in oil in a medium-sized saucepan until translucent. Add a liberal splash of white wine.
• Reduce the wine until it has almost disappeared and add the tomatoes, piercing them. Rinse the tomato tins with 2 cups (500 ml) of water and add to the pot.
• Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for approx 1 hour.
• Add the stock and simmer for a further 1 hour. This is plenty of time to prepare the seafood.

Seafood:

• Clean and de-beard the mussels, put in the fridge. (For tips on cleaning mussels see “Cleaning Mussels” in Techniques).
• Cut the squid tubes along one edge so they are no longer a tube but lie flat .
• Gently, with a very sharp knife, score criss-cross cuts on what was the inside of the tube (approx 1 cm/about ½ an inch scores). Cut each scored squid tube into about 6 pieces, then put them in the fridge.
• I recommend you leave the heads on the prawns, but if you’d rather not, feel free to remove them at this stage.
• Remove the shell from the body of the prawns; leave the tail and head attached.
• Gently pull the prawns head forward and you will find the intestinal tract and cord running from the head to the body. Slide a skewer or the back of a small knife under this and gently pull up. By doing so the cord and tract will slide right out of the body.
• If the tract/cord breaks with some of it still in the body you will need to make a small slice along the back of the prawn and remove it from there.
• Rinse them and place in the fridge.
• Cut the perch into the same number of pieces as you have guests, rinse and refrigerate.
• Rinse the scallops and place in the fridge.

The rest:

• Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown. Immediately remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly.
• Place the parsley (leave a little aside for garnish) in a food processor with the nuts and process on high, add 2 tbsps olive oil and process on high until smooth.
• Stir this into the tomato sauce together with the fish stock, bring it all to the boil and reduce to simmer.
• Add some salt and pepper to some flour and lightly coat the squid pieces. Fry them on high in a large deep pan in a liberal amount of oil for a couple of minutes.
• Repeat the same process for the perch.
• Clean the pan, return to the heat with some more oil, and fry the prawns on high for a minute or two.
• Add the mussels, squid, clams, and a little of the clam brine and pour in the simmering sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and add the scallops and perch.
• Once the mussels have all opened, all the other seafood should be perfectly cooked. Season to taste.
• Depending on the occasion, you may want to just place the pan on the table with a chopping board of bread, or you may want to plate it up. If so, arrange your 4 plates and divide the seafood evenly among them using a set of tongs, and then ladle the sauce over. Sprinkle over some parsley and serve with a red or white wine.