Fish soup and rouille

Serves: 6

Edit

Update

Cancel

Total Time: 85

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 40

• FOR THE SOUP
• 2 kilogram(s) assorted fish
• 120 ml olive oil
• 2  leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bulb(s) fennel, thinly sliced
• 2 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
• 2  ripe red peppers, deseeded and chopped
• 250 gram(s) ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• bouquet garni of parsley, thyme, bay leaf and a piece of orange zest
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 50 gram(s) fresh white breadcrumbs
• 20  saffron strands
• 2 tablespoon(s) tomato paste
• 6 tablespoon(s) pastis or ouzo
• FOR THE ROUILLE
• 2 clove(s) garlic, roughly chopped
• sea salt and cayenne pepper
• 50 gram(s) fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 large ripe red pepper, roasted, peeled deseeded and chopped
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
• TO SERVE
• 1  slim baguette
• olive oil
• 150 gram(s) freshly grated Parmesan

Method

1. In fish markets around the Mediterranean you will find boxes of tiddlers labelled simply 'soupe'. No distinguished players are required for this version. Go for an assortment of fish, whole or in unfilleted chunks, avoiding oily fish and including a piece of conger eel for its particular sweetness.
2. For the soup, wash and gut the fish and cut it into large chunks, complete with heads, tails and fins. Heat the oil in a capacious pot and add the leeks and onion. Sweat until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes, without allowing it to brown. Stir in the fennel, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and fish. Add 2.5 litres of water and bring to the boil. Add the bouquet garni, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, saffron and tomato paste and cook the soup, uncovered, at a soft, rolling boil for about 30 minutes.
3. Allow the soup to cool a little, then work it through a mouli légumes fitted with its finest disc to remove the bones. Discard these bones and any other undesirable debris. Alternatively, liquidise the mixture and press it through a sieve. Either way, there is no denying that this is hard, messy work, but the rewards are glorious.
4. To make the rouille, ideally use a pestle and mortar. Reduce the garlic to a cream with half a teaspoonful of salt. Work in the breadcrumbs, followed by the roasted red pepper. Adding a little at a time, work in the oil and a generous seasoning of cayenne pepper. The finished sauce should be quite thick, like a brick-red mayonnaise.
5. To make the croûtons, heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6. Cut the baguette in 1cm- thick slices and lay them in a single layer on one or more baking trays. Brush lightly with oil on one side and dry for 10 minutes in the oven until crisp but not hard.
6. Reheat the soup to serve, adding the pastis or ouzo and adjusting the seasoning just before serving in big bowls. Let each diner launch a few croûtons, spread generously with rouille and sprinkled with grated Parmesan, onto the surface of the soup. Recipe by Shona Crawford Poole

• Rated:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

by 0 people

View more recipes from

Add your own comments

Here are some alternate versions of this recipe created by our wonderful community of chefs!