FISH SOUP

Fish Soup image

Ms. Hodgson brought us this recipe over 20 years ago in an article that extolled the virtues of halibut, and indeed, it is very good fish for soups. Here, fish and shellfish are briefly cooked in a saffron-flavored broth. Don't be intimidated. This recipe is extremely simple, and once you've gathered all of the ingredients (perhaps the most time-consuming of all the tasks), it can be put together in about an hour. It can also be made in advance, with the fish cooked in the broth at the last minute. Serve it with our version of rouille (a thick garlicky sauce stirred in after the soup is served) that uses a couple of tablespoons of commercial mayonnaise instead of egg yolks.

Provided by Moira Hodgson

Categories times classics, appetizer, side dish

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp, with shells on
1/2 pound squid, cleaned
1/2 pound halibut
1 piece monkfish (about 1/2 pound)
Lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley
Fish heads and bones as available
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ripe tomatoes skinned and chopped, or canned tomatoes, chopped
Pinch saffron
1 glass dry white wine
4 thick slices white or light whole wheat bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steps:

Shell the shrimp and put the shells in a stockpot. Put the shrimp in a mound on a large plate. Slice the squid and place in a mound next to the shrimp. Cut the remaining fish into one-and-a-half-inch chunks and put any bones into the stockpot. Squeeze lemon juice onto the fish and set aside.
Add the parsley to the stockpot with any fish heads and other bones. Add five cups water and simmer gently uncovered for 30 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and soften the leek with the carrots and the garlic. Add the tomatoes with the saffron and white wine. Cook gently for five minutes, turn heat down to very low, cover and simmer while the broth is cooking.
Meanwhile, make the rouille. Put the bread and mayonnaise into the bowl of a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, paprika and cayenne. Slowly add the oil and process until you have a thick puree. Season to taste and place in a small bowl.
Drain the fish broth and reserve. Put the broth into a pot that you can carry to the table and add the leek tomato mixture. Simmer for five minutes.
Just before serving add the fish to the broth. First add the squid, cook for five minutes, then add the white fish, cook for two minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for two minutes. Bring to the table and serve the rouille separately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 684, UnsaturatedFat 32 grams, Carbohydrate 31 grams, Fat 40 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 41 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 1252 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams, TransFat 0 grams