Recipe compliments of Rick and Lynne
Soupe de Poisson (Fish Soup)
Cuisine: French Type: Soup Serves: 4-6
Source:
Saveur
Attributes:
Comments:
Use the freshest saltwater fish you can find.
Serving Suggestions:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 pounds assorted whole (heads on) small white-fleshed ocean fish, such as porgy, mullet, and rockfish, cleaned and cut into large pieces
3 stalks dried or fresh fennel, each about 8" long, with fronds, halved crosswise
1 tsp. fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
2-3 pinches saffron threads, finely crushed
Salt
1 recipe rouille (see elsewhere)
Half a baguette, sliced and toasted

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft but not colored, 10 to 12 minutes. Add fish, fennel stalks, fennel seeds, bay leaves, and 8 cups of water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in saffron and simmer for 5 minutes more.

2. Strain stock through a large sieve into a large bowl; discard bay leaves. Working in 3 batches, grind one-third of the fish solids (including heads) and aromatics with 1 cup of the strained stock in a food processor to a chunky paste, then transfer to a medium bowl. Working in small batches and using a sturdy wooden spoon, push paste through a medium-hole sieve into another medium bowl, pressing as much paste through as possible. Discard any solids that won't go through sieve. Add 2 cups of stock to strained paste in bowl and season to taste with salt. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the remaining stock for making rouille, saving the remaining stock for another use, if you like.

3. Strain soup into a pot and heat. Adjust seasonings. Serve with toasts slathered with rouille.

Related recipes:

Rouille (for use with Fish Soup)

2005-07-15