IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, people who live close to the sea have developed their own soups and stews. They range from light, brothy soups to rich, chunky stews, with no clear distinction between soups and stews. These soups are a challenge for those who rely on a retail market where fish are sold in fillet form and bones are not readily available. Try to patronize a fish market where the turnover is high.
Fish heads make the richest and tastiest broth.
Each region surrounding the Mediterranean makes its own version of fish soup. Saffron shows up in Spanish zarzuela di mariscos (seafood) and in French, bouillabaisse. Pastis, various anise-flavored spirits such as Pernod and Ricard, often flavor these soup/stews. Rouille, a thick red pepper and garlic sauce enriches the Provençal Soupe de Poisson (page 52) in this chapter. Other entries in this category are orange-scented bourride from the French Languedoc and suquet de peix from Eastern coastal Spain, which typically contains saffron and almonds.
Italian versions include Neapolitan zuppa de pesce (literally, “fish soup”), brodetto from the province of Abruzzo, which always includes vinegar to cut the rich fattiness of Adriatic fish, and burrida from Liguria. The Cacciucco Livornese (page 47) in this chapter is a specialty of Livorno, and unique in that it is made with red, not white, wine. In San Francisco, cioppino is an adaption by Portuguese and Italian immigrants of traditional European fish stews.
In this chapter we also make Billi Bi (page 44), a most elegant soup made with the humblest of bivalves, mussels. The Caribbean Callalou Soup (page 50) is based on sweet crabmeat. The name refers to a various types of local cooking greens characteristic of island cooking.
The big choices here are whether to use shellfish and bivalves along with fish and whether the fish is whole or filleted. In more traditional fisherman’s style, we use fish steaks on the bone to make the Cacciucco, but you may choose to make it with fillet. Many of the tastiest fish are also small and bony, so they are not suited to filleting but work very well in fish soup. Use a combination of fish with light, medium, and darker flesh for more complex flavor. Just be sure to warn your guests about small bones, which can be a choking hazard.
SOUPMAKER’S TIP
SOURCES FOR SEAFOOD BROTH:
Open up a can of wild red salmon and clean away bones and skin. Save the juices and trimmings in a small freezer container and use it as a base for salmon chowder. Even the liquid contained in a can of tuna may be added in small quantities to fish soups. The same goes for the poaching liquid from cooking shrimp or other seafood or the juices given off by steaming mussels, clams, crabs, lobsters, or crayfish. Canned ocean clam broth has briny ocean flavor and is quite salty (so do not add salt to the broth), but it is a good choice for a quick seafood stock.
THIS CLASSIC SOUP is based on a traditional dish of the French province of Brittany on its western Atlantic coast, where mussels are abundant. There, the soup is known as mouclade and it is made with white wine, shallots, butter, egg yolks, garlic, a bouquet garni, crème fraiche, and either saffron or a dash of curry powder. One story is that Billi Bi was created by chef Louis Barthe in 1925 at Maxim’s of Paris for one of his customers, William B. Leeks Jr., an American industrialist. The original Billi Bi didn’t include any mussel meats but we like their soft, tender texture and mild flavor. Save a few mussel shells for garnish, if desired.
Ingredients for Billi Bi. This most elegant of soups is made from the inexpensive mussel.
Makes about 3 quarts (3 L), serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups (475 ml) dry white wine, divided
2 pounds (907 g) mussels, well-scrubbed
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 cup (100 g) thinly sliced celery
1 cup (160 g) finely diced onion
1 tablespoon (10 g) chopped garlic
2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (180 g) diced fresh tomatoes or canned chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 ml) brandy
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Pernod, Ricard or other unsweetened anise-flavored spirits
1 quart (1 L) Fish Stock, clam broth, or Vegetable Stock
4 egg yolks
2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soak the saffron in enough of the white wine to cover, 15 minutes, or until the liquid is bright yellow. Reserve. (See Appendix, page 149.)
1. Combine the remaining white wine, mussels, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot. Cover and steam over high heat until all the mussels open, about 8 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally.
2. Strain the mussels into a colander placed over a bowl to catch the precious juices, known as the “liquor.”
3. To ensure that no sand remains in the mussel liquor, pour it through a dampened paper towel or coffee filter laid inside a sieve (see Appendix, page 144) and reserve.
4. Meanwhile, in a second large stock pot (or wash out and reuse the first pot), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes; add the tomatoes and continue cooking for a total of 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp tender.
6. Pour in the saffron–white wine mixture, the brandy, and Pernod and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the flavors are combined.
Add the strained mussel juice and stock or clam broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer together 5 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, remove most of the meat from the mussel shells, reserving the meat and discarding most of the shells. (You may wish to reserve some mussels in their shells, or just mussel shells, to use for garnish.)
8. To make the liaison (binder/thickener), whisk together the yolks and about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the cream in a medium bowl. While whisking, pour in about 2 cups (475 ml) of the soup liquid to gently heat and temper the custard mix.
9. Pour the remaining cream into the pot and stir to combine.
10. Pour the custard mix into the pot. Heat while stirring until the soup thickens (165°F, or 74°C). Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If using the clam broth, salt will probably not be needed.)
11. Add the reserved mussels to the soup, stir to combine and serve immediately.
* Farm-raised mussels sold in U.S. supermarkets—usually in 2-pound (907 g) bags—are already scrubbed clean. You will need to thoroughly scrub wild mussels, which are usually larger and more uneven in shape; pry off any barnacles before use as well. Do not pull the “beards” from the mussels until you are ready to cook them, as this keeps them alive. A live mussel’s shell should close if it is tapped on a counter, so discard any mussels that do not close. In addition, discard any mussels that are closed, extra heavy, and make a dull sound when tapped; these may be “mudders,” dead mussels filled with mud.
* The traditional rich egg yolk and cream liaison (binder) thickens the soup. Once this custard has been incorporated into the soup base, it is important not to boil it, but rather heat it only long enough for the yolks to thicken, 165°F (74°C). The same goes for reheating: If the soup gets too hot, the yolk mixture may curdle. If this does happen, you may strain out the mussel meats and blend the soup using a standard or immersion blender.
SAVE FOR STOCK:
Thyme stems, celery, onion, garlic, and tomato trimmings
THIS COUSIN TO PROVENÇAL BOUILLABAISSE is a fisherman’s stew from the Italian port city of Livorno and is traditionally made with five varieties of fish: one for every letter c in its name. Cacciucco was made with the assorted small fish known as pesce povero (poor fish) that the fisherman couldn’t sell and brought home. The name comes from the Turkish küçük, meaning “small or bits,” and perhaps originated on sixteenth century galleys, where it was prepared to feed the slaves. Here we use the fish heads to make a rich broth in which we poach the fish, which has been cut into steaks on the bone. This humble fish stew is traditionally made with whole fish left on the bone. If the potatoes are young with thin skins, leave them on, otherwise peel. This soup doesn’t freeze well.
Fresh fish steaks cut from American red snapper, fluke, and porgy ready for the fisherman’s pot.
Makes 1 gallon (4 L), serves about 8 as a main dish, 12 as a first course
INGREDIENTS
5 pounds (2.3 kg) assorted fish (see “Suggested Fish for Soup,” Provençal Soupe de Poisson with Rouille, page 55)
Bouquet Garni (recipe follows)
1 large onion, diced
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 teaspoons (6 g) chopped garlic
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups (540 g) chopped plum tomatoes (fresh, canned, or Tetra-Pak boxed)
1 cup (235 ml) red wine
1 pound (455 g) gold potatoes, halved and then sliced into 1/3-inch thick half-moons
2 tablespoons (5 g) chopped sage
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crostini (recipe follows)
Ask the fishmonger to gut, scale, and clean the fish and pull out and discard the bitter tasting gills. Have the fish cut into steaks (as shown) or fillets and the pin bones removed. Save the heads, “frames” (skeletons), and trimmings of white-fleshed fish only. Store the fish well chilled until ready to cook.
Rinse the fish heads and any other frames and trimmings in cold water.
1. Place the fish heads and any other trimmings along with the Bouquet Garni into a large soup pot, add 3 quarts (3 L) cold water, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer, skimming as necessary, for 45 minutes or until the fish bones fall apart easily.
3. Strain the broth, pressing down well on the solids to extract all the juices. Reserve the strained broth. Clean out the pot and wipe dry.
4. In another pot, sauté the onion, fennel, and garlic in olive oil.
5. Add the tomatoes and red wine.
6. Pour the strained fish broth into the pot and bring back to a boil.
7. Add the potatoes and boil over moderate heat until the potatoes are almost tender, about 8 minutes.
8. Stir in the sage and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Just before serving, add the fish according to size (larger, firmer fish first, then smaller, softer fish), and simmer until the fish flakes, about 10 minutes.
10. Serve the cacciucco in large bowls accompanied by Crostini (recipe follows) and garnished with a sage sprig if desired.
2 large sprigs Italian parsley
2 large sprigs fresh thyme
2 large strips orange zest, cut using a potato peeler
1 whole, dried small dried red chile
2 bay leaves
Make a bouquet garni (see Appendix, page 149) by tying together the parsley, thyme, orange zest, chile, and bay leaves in kitchen string or in a piece of muslin tied shut.
CROSTINI:
3 to 4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
12 to 16 slices firm, crusty Italian bread
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
1. Crush or finely mince the garlic, using a garlic press if desired, and mix with the olive oil.
2. Cut the bread on the diagonal into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick slices. Arrange in a single layer on a baking tray. Brush the garlic-oil mixture onto both sides of the bread slices. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
SOUPMAKER’S TIPS
* Typical bony strong-flavored fish from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the portion of the Mediterranean off the coast of Livorno, for Cacciucco, would include the dragon-faced scorfano nero (black scorpionfish) and gallinella (Tub Gurnard) all flavored with tomato, garlic, chili, red—never white—wine, and fresh sage. If desired, have the fishmonger fillet the fish and pull out the pin bones and use the heads, bones, and any trimmings to make the broth, substitute the filets for the fish steaks.
SAVE FOR STOCK:
Onion, fennel, and tomato trimmings; parsley and thyme stems; remaining strips of orange zest (use to flavor spiced fruit or chutney; freeze if desired to use at a later date); the fruit of the orange (cut away the white flesh remaining and cut the fruit into slices, half-moons, or cubes and add to salad)
A DELICIOUS CELEBRATION SOUP made in different versions throughout the Caribbean islands, Callalou gets its name from the greens used in it, such as taro, amaranth, or other island-specific greens. However, a mild tasting cooking green such as spinach, Swiss chard, or Chinese spinach make a good substitute. The soup also contains coconut milk and crabmeat, which are typical of Caribbean cooking. Another ingredient, okra (of African origin), can often be found at farmers’ markets. Fresh, young okra is pleasingly chewy and quite delicious. Frozen sliced okra can be substituted but tends to be slippery and should be added during the last minutes of cooking. For those who don’t want to eat pork, substitute diced smoked turkey leg or thigh for the bacon and cook the vegetables in vegetable oil.
Makes about 1 gallon (4 L), serves 8 to 12
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound (225 g) bacon, cut into small bits
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 pound (455 g) okra, ends trimmed off, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 tablespoon (10 g) chopped garlic
1/4 cup (32 g) all-purpose flour
2 quarts (2 L) Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock (page 14 or 3)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce, or substitute Worcestershire sauce
2 cans (14 ounce, or 397 g) unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons (4.8 g) chopped fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons (5.5 g) dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound (455 g) best-quality crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/4 pound (115 g) baby spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (30 ml) hot pepper sauce (optional)
In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until crispy and brown, pouring off excess fat (you’ll need 1/4 cup, or 60 ml).
Add the onion and cook in the bacon mixture until softened but not brown, about 5 minutes.
1. Add the pepper, celery, okra, and garlic.
2. Stir well to combine.
3. Add the flour and cook the mixture about 5 minutes, stirring, to remove the raw flour taste.
4. Add the stock and Pickapeppa or Worcestershire.
5. Add the coconut milk, thyme, and bay leaves and simmer 15 minutes.
6. Just before serving, stir in the crabmeat.
7. Add the spinach leaves and heat through until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add hot pepper sauce, if using. Serve piping hot.
SOUPMAKER’S TIPS
* Bacon is easiest to work with if it is semifrozen. You may cut presliced bacon into thin strips and then cut the strips into small squares. Alternatively, you can cut the bacon into chunks and then process them to small bits, but this will work only if the bacon is firm and semifrozen. The same technique works for pancetta.
SAVE FOR STOCK:
Onion trimmings, red bell pepper cores and stems, celery leafy tops and tougher bottoms, garlic skins, thyme stems.
THIS CREAMY SOUP is made from the fisherman’s catch of various small, local fish along the French Mediterranean coast and is served with croûtes (toasted slices of French bread) spread with rouille, a garlic-laden red pepper sauce. Here we use four fish: black sea bass, fluke (also known as summer flounder), porgy (a cousin of Mediterranean sea bream), and collagen-rich cod. Use about 1 pound (455 g) of fish for 1 quart (1 L) water along with shellfish trimmings such as scallop “catch” muscles shrimp shells, lobster bodies (gills removed and discarded), and/or the steaming liquid from clams, mussels, or crab—the more variety, the better the flavor. Ask your fishmonger to prepare the fish by removing the gills from the head, scraping out the blood line from either side of the backbone, and cutting the fish into steaks. This soup is best if made in larger quantities, as using a variety of fish gives it the best flavor; it freezes well.
Makes about 5 quarts (5 L), serves 12 or more
INGREDIENTS
1 cup (235 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced
1 leek, diced (see Appendix, page 153)
1 small fennel, chopped (use the bulb and lighter colored stalks)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 pounds (907 g) red ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
5 pounds (2.3 kg) whole fresh fish, cut into steaks, including the heads
Bouquet garni (see Appendix, page 149)
1/4 cup (60 ml) Pernod, Ricard, or other unsweetened anise-flavored spirits, or 1 tablespoon (6 g) crushed fennel seed
1 gallon (4 L) cold water
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup (235 ml) white wine
1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick, toasted
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound (115 g) crushed spaghetti or cappellini
2 cups (475 ml) Rouille (recipe follows)
1/2 cup (30 g) chopped Italian parsley
1. Heat 3/4 cup (175 ml) of the olive oil in a large soup pot. Cook the onion, leek, fennel, and garlic until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, and then add the tomatoes.
2. Wash the fish steaks in cold water and drain.
3. Add the fish and other ingredients up through the Pernod to the pot.
4. Pour in the cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat (if the heat is too high, the fish may stick to the bottom and burn).
5. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, skimming as necessary, or until the fish bodies fall to pieces. While soup is simmering, soak the saffron threads in the white wine (see Appendix, page 149).
6. Blend, bones and all, using an immersion blender, if available, to extract the maximum flavor and body from the soup. This step is optional but recommended.
7. Using, ideally, a food mill, strain the blended soup mixture. (The last juices to be squeezed out will be the tastiest.) Alternatively, strain through a sieve, pressing down firmly on the solids with a special cone-shaped wooden pusher or the back of a ladle.
8. Rinse the soup pot and then return the strained liquid to the pot. Add the saffron-wine mixture, season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, and bring to a boil.
When ready to serve, add the crushed spaghetti to the pot and boil about 8 minutes or until almost tender with a small hard white core in the center.
9. Place one or two rounds of toasted bread in the bottom of large soup bowls and top with about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the Rouille.
10. Ladle the soup and spaghetti over top, sprinkle with parsley. Serve the soup piping hot.
Rouille (“roo-ee”) is a thick dip or sauce made from soft bread, red peppers, garlic, saffron, chili peppers, and generous quantities of fruity olive oil. A specialty of Provençal cuisine, it is served as a flavorful enrichment for fish and fish soup. It makes a wonderful sandwich spread or topping for grilled or roasted vegetables.
Ingredients for Rouille including kosher salt, French bread, roasted red peppers, garlic cloves, thyme, hot red pepper flakes, and extra virgin olive oil.
Makes about 3 cups (705 ml), about 24 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 large thick slices hearty French or Italian bread, crusts removed and diced (about 2 ounces, or 55 g, by weight)
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (one average lemon yields about 3 tablespoons, or 45 ml, of juice)
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
1 large or 2 smaller roasted and peeled red bell pepper, homemade or purchased
1 roasted hot red chile pepper (or substitute hot ground red chile powder such as cayenne, Turkish marash pepper, or hot paprika)
2 cloves peeled garlic
4 ounces (115 g) blanched almonds, chopped
1/4 cup (15 g) Italian parsley leaves
1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1. Cut off and discard the crust of the bread. Soak the bread in water to cover until soft, about 5 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid.
2. Place the bread, lemon juice, saffron (if using), red pepper, chile pepper, garlic, almonds, parsley, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
3. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil to make a thick, creamy sauce with the texture of mayonnaise. Store covered and refrigerated up to 2 weeks. The sauce should be thick enough to hold its shape. If it is too thick—more like peanut butter than mayonnaise—thin with roasted pepper juice or water.
Store Rouille covered and refrigerated up to 2 weeks.
* Ask the fishmonger for fish “frames,” the skeletons left after removing the fillets. You may be able to get them at no or low cost. Ask the fishmonger to remove the bitter tasting gills. Fish heads are best here as they are full of flavor and will add rich body to the soup. All fish and fish trimmings should have a sweet, briny smell, never a “fishy” smell, a sign of a less than fresh fish.
* To make Soupe de Poisson ahead, cool and then freeze the strained soup broth and add the spaghetti later.
* If the cooked fish bones are relatively small, discard them in the garbage disposal. Larger bones should be discarded in the trash. Double-bag the discards to keep them from smelling up the kitchen.
SAVE FOR STOCK:
Onion skins, tops, and tails; leek rootlets and lighter green leaves; fennel outer leaves and light colored stalk portions; garlic skins; tomato cores; and parsley, basil, and thyme stems
SUGGESTED FISH FOR SOUP
Arctic Char |
Usually farm raised from Canada |
Barramundi |
Australian fish now farm raised in the United States |
Branzino (Mediterranean Sea Bass) |
Mostly farm raised but relatively expensive |
Cod |
Light flavor, full of natural gelatin, which gives the soup good body |
Croaker and other Drumfish such as Red Drum |
Bony but flavorful and inexpensive |
Flatfish, such as fluke, flounder, sole, halibut, sand dab, Dover sole, and European turbot |
High in gelatin with lean white flesh |
Grouper |
From Florida, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico |
Haddock |
Similar to cod, also quite gelatinous |
Halibut |
From the Atlantic and the Northern Pacific |
Monkfish |
Once a lower-priced fish, now in high demand so the price has gone up |
Pollock |
Often found frozen, from Alaska; mild flavor |
Red Mullet |
Excellent flavor, not often found in the United States, though goatfish is similar |
Red Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper |
Makes a delicate soup with pleasing flavor; usually high in price |
Rockfish |
All sorts of smaller rockfish can work well for soup |
Sea Bass |
Delicate, pleasing flavor; found on the Atlantic Coast |
Sea Bream (dorade) |
Usually farm raised from the Mediterranean or Porgy; the Atlantic equivalent |
Striped Bass (Hybrid Striped Bass) |
Has less flavor than wild striped bass but acceptable |
Weakfish |
Bony sea trout; light flavor; good, less expensive choice for soup |
Whiting |
Good choice as this bony but lean fish is usually inexpensive |
Stronger-tasting darker-meat fish such as bluefish, mackerel, tuna, mahi-mahi, or salmon can be used but in small quantity so as not to overpower the flavor of more delicate fish. |
|
