Italian fish soup

By: Tony Chiodo
From: Feel Good Food
Serves: 6
Photographer: Chris Chen

A well-made fish soup brings out the sunshine. This soup can be approached in two parts – stock one day and the soup recipe the next day – or embraced in one marathon effort. This soup works best with vegetables cut into matchsticks, julienne-style, as they make for a quick cooking time and a light consistency. This is a soup fit for a family feast.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
2 tablespoons	extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon extra, for drizzling
1	onion, finely sliced
1	garlic clove, sliced
1/4	chilli, finely sliced, (optional)
1/2	carrot, cut into fine matchsticks
1	celery stalk, cut into fine matchsticks
1/4	fennel bulb, finely sliced
1/2 cup	dry white wine
2 x 400 g cans	diced tomatoes
250g	assorted seafood, such as snapper, flathead, perch, scallops, prawns and mussels
1 teaspoon	sea salt
1 small handful	basil leaves, sliced

Fish stock

Quantity	Ingredient
2	fish carcasses, rinsed, heads included
1	onion, roughly chopped
3	garlic cloves, sliced
1	carrot, roughly chopped
2	celery stalks, roughly chopped
1	bay leaf
1 teaspoon	black peppercorns
1/2 bunch	flat-leaf parsley stems

Method

For the fish stock, combine the ingredients together in a large saucepan with 4 litres water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the surface scum. Strain through a fine sieve and allow to cool.
For the soup, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic and chilli for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the carrot, celery and fennel to the pan and sauté for a further 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and allow to evaporate for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and 1.5 litres of the fish stock and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavours come together.
Add the seafood and sea salt to the pan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through. Just before serving, stir through the basil and drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil.