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Fish Soup
(Zuppa di Pesce)
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| What You Need: |
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2 pounds fish heads, bones and trimmings
3 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup sliced onions
2 celery tops with leaves
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup olive oil
2 pounds each of 3 kinds of white fish fillets or steaks-such as haddock, flounder, cod, perch, pollack, snapper, mackerel, bass or rockfish - cut into 2-inch serving pieces
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh tomato pulp (about 1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and gently squeezed)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron or crumbled saffron threads
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel
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| How To Cook: |
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When cooked, this dish does not provide as much liquid-for the number of
people it serves-as a conventional soup might seem to require; it is more a dish
of fish served in a seasoned liquid. It is never the less eaten as a soup, with a spoon.
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1. In a 4- to 6-quart enameled or stainless-steel saucepan, combine fish heads, bones and trimmings with water and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add the onions, celery tops, parsley sprigs, bay leaf and thyme and return stock to a boil.
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2. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl or saucepan, pressing down hard with a spoon on the fish trimmings and vegetables to extract their juices before discarding them.
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3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4- to 5-quart flameproof serving casserole until a light haze forms over it. Brown the fish in the oil over moderately high heat for only 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Tip the casserole slightly and, with a bulb baster, remove all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil.
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4. Stir the saffron into the strained fish stock and add it, the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and a few grindings of pepper to the casserole.
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5. Bring the soup to a simmer, stirring gently, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is firm to the touch and flakes easily when pierced with a fork. Be careful not to overcook.
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6. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and sprinkle the top with the 2 remaining tablespoons of chopped parsley and the grated lemon peel. Serve the soup directly from the casserole.
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