This soup is made by the fishermen on their fishing boats. It is a rustic dish, and the main ingredient is fresh fish, if you can get them. You don’t have to buy expensive fish. Get small fish that are cheap, but full of flavor. You can also add 2 – 3 larger fish, so that you can enjoy the flesh, either in your soup (after you have removed the bones) or plain with a little mayonnaise. You can see the fish I used for this soup: cod, redfish and various small fish.
Ingredients 1 – 2 kilos various fish (depends on whether they are large or small fish and the number of servings you require) 3 – 4 potatoes 4 carrots 2 zucchini 1 onion 3 medium tomatoes 3 tablespoonfuls olive oil ½ bunch of celery Juice of 1 lemon Salt & pepper
Directions
You mush first clean the fish: scrape off the scales, open the belly and remove the intestines and the gills. Wash them and place them in a colander to drain. If you wish, you can ask your fishmonger to clean and filet the larger fish. But you should also get the heads, because that’s where the flavor is!
Wash and peel the potatoes, carrots, zucchini, celery and onion and cut them into large pieces. Roughly chop the tomatoes.
Put all the vegetables in a pot and add water and some salt. Simmer them for about 20 minutes. When they are done, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and add the fish. Put first the bigger fish, let them simmer for 4 – 5 minutes and then add the small fish. Simmer for another 7 – 8 minutes. If you use the filets of the larger fish, you can put everything in the pot at the same time, about 8 – 10 minutes total. Taste the broth and add salt, pepper and the lemon juice.
Remove the fish from the pot. Strain the broth in another pot, in case there are any bones. Return the vegetables to the pot. Check the fish filets for any bones, cut them up in large pieces and return them to the pot. Clean as many of the smaller fish you can from bones and add the flesh to the pot. Add the olive oil, stir, taste the broth and adjust the seasonings.
Serve the broth in soup bowls, adding a few pieces of vegetables and fish.
Enjoy!