TWO MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUPS
How to make a real Mediterranean fish soup is always subject of lively
and utterly dogmatic discussion among French experts; and if you do not
happen to live on the Mediterrancan, you cannot obtain the particular rockfish,
gurnards, mullets, weavers, sea eels, wrastes, and breams which they consider
absolutely essential. But you can make an extremely good fish soup even if you
have only frozen fish and canned clam juice to work with because the other
essential flavorings of tomatoes, onions or leeks, garlic, herbs, and olive oil are
always available,
FISH TO USE
Fish soups are usually made from lean fish. The flavor of the soup is
more interesting if as many varieties of fish arc included as possible, and the
soup has more body if a proportion of gelatinous fish such as halibut, eel, and
some of the firmer-fleshed founder types arc used, Hlere are some suggestions:
Rock, Calico, o Sea Bass Pollock or Boston Bluefish
Cod or Lingcod Porgy or Scup
Conger or Sea Eel Redfish or Red Drum
Flounder Rockfish or Sculpin
Grouper Serod
Grunt Red or Gray Snapper
Haddock Spot
Hake or Whiting Fresh-water Trout; Sea Trout or
Halibut Weakfish
Lemon Sole Shellfish—Clams, Scallops, Mus-
Perch sels, Crab, Lobster
To prepare the fish for cooking, have them cleaned and scaled. Discard
the gills, Save heads and trimmings for fish stock. Cut large fish into crosswise
slices 2 inches wide. Scrub clams. Scrub and soak the mussels, page 226
Wash scallops. If using live crab or lobster, split them just before cooking.
Remove the sand sack and intestinal tube from lobsters,BOUILLABAISSE
[Bouillabaisse]
You can make as dramatic a production as you want out of a bouille-
baisse, but remember it originated as a simple, Mediterranean fisherman's soup,
made from the day's catch or its unsalable leftovers, and flavored with the typi-
cal condiments of the region—olive cil, garlic, lecks or onions, tomatoes, and
herbs, The fish are rapidly boiled in an aromatic broth and are removed to a
platters the broth is served in a tureen, Each guest helps hismself to both and
eats them together in a big soup plate. If you wish to serve wine, choose a rosé,
or a light, strong, young red such as a Cétes de Provence or Beaujolais, or a
strong, dry, white wine from the Cétes de Provence, or a Riesling.
Ideally you should pick six or more varieties of fresh fish, which is why
4 bouillabaisse is at its best when made for at least six people. Some of the fish
should be firm-fleshed and gelatinous like halibut, eel, and winter flounder,
and some tender and flaky like hake, baby cod, small pollock, and lemon sole.
Shellfish are neither necessary nor particularly typical, but they always add
glamor and color if you wish to include them. ,
‘The fish, except for live lobsters and crabs, may be cleaned, sliced, and.
refrigerated several hours before the final cooking. The soup base may be
boiled and strained. The actual cooking of the fish in the soup will take only
about 20 minutes, and then the dish should be served immediately.
For 6 to 8 people
Ingredients for the preced- Boil the soup ingredients for 30 t0 qo minutes as de-
ing soupe de poissom, scribed in the fish soup recipe, page 50. Strain, press-
minus the pasta, Use ing juices out of ingredients. Taste carefully for
fish heads, bones, and seasoning and strength. It should be delicious at this
trimmings, and if you point, so it will need no further fussing with later.
have not enough of them, You should have about 244 quarts in a high, rather
strengthen the soup base narrow kettle.
with bottled clam juice6 t 8 pounds assorted lean Bring the soup to a rapid boil 20 minutes before serv-
fish, and shellfish if you ing. Add lobsters, crabs, and firmfleshed fish. Bring
wish, selected and pre- quickly back to the boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
pared from the sugges: Add the tender-fleshed fish, the clams, mussels, and
tions on page 50 scallops, Bring rapidly to the beil again and boil 5
minutes more or until the fish are just tender when
pierced with a fork. Do not overcook.
A hot plauer Immediately lift out dhe fish and arrange on the plat-
A soup tureen ter. Correct seasoning, and pour the soup into the
Rounds of hard-toasted _tureen over rounds of French bread. Spoon a ladleful
French bread, page 4g of soup over the fish, and sprinkle parsley over both
¥; cup roughly chopped fish and soup. Serve immediately accompanied by the
fresh parsley optional rouille.
Optional: A bowl of
rouille (page 5)
SOUPE DE POISSON
[Strained Fish Soup]
Soupe de poisson has the same taste as bouillabaisse, but the soup is
strained and pasta is cooked in it to give a light liaison, If you are making the
soup on the Mediterranean, you will come home with dozens of tiny, freshly
caught fish all colors of the rainbow. Elsewhere, use whole fish, fish heads,
bones, and trimmings, shellfish carcasses, or just bottled clam juice,
For 6 to 8 people
A soup kettle Cook the onions and lecks slowly in olive oil for 5
cup minced onions minutes or until almost tender but not browned,
% cup of minced leek, or 4
cup more onions
¥% cup olive oil
4 cloves mashed garlic Stir in the garlic and tomatces. Raise heat to moderate
1 Ib, of ripe, red tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more,
roughly chopped, or 1/4