Recipes » Fish » Fumet and Soup

Ingredients

• FISH FUMET
• MAKES 1 QUART
• 1 pound fish trimmings (heads and bones), rinsed
• 1 onion, quartered
• I carrot, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 1 leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 parsley sprigs
• I bay leaf
• I thyme sprig
• 1 quart water salt
• 1 cup dry white wine
•  
• FOR THE SOUP
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves (more to taste), minced
• 2 28-ounce cans tomatoes, with juice, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon basil (to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme (to taste)
•  1 recipe fish fumet (above)
• I bay leaf
• salt
• 3/4 pound (4 medium) new potatoes, diced
• 1 pound (4 small) zucchini, sliced
• fresh corn from 2 to 3 ears (optional) freshly ground pepper
• pinch or 2 cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• 2 wide strips of orange zest
• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds fish fillets or steaks, such as any combination of cod, striped bass, monkfish, tilefish, snapper, redfish, bream, turbot, or conger, cut into 2-inch cubes
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• FOR THE GARNISH
• 1/2 pound mussels or clams (enough for 4 per serving)
•  1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• lemon wedges

Preparation

Fumet:
Combine the fish trimmings, onion, carrot, celery, leek, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, water, and salt to taste in a large soup pot or saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Skim off all the bitter foam that rises Continue to skim until no foam remains, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add the wine and simmer 15 minutes, covered. Remove from the heat and strain at once through a fine sieve or a strainer lined with cheesecloth Don’t cook any longer than this, or the fumet will be bitter You can keep the fumet for a day in the refrigerator

Soup:
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or casserole and sauté the onion with the garlic until the onion is tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, dried basil (fresh basil goes in later), and thyme and simmer 15 minutes. Add the fumet, bay leaf, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes (you cover the soup now because you want to cook the vegetables without letting any more of the liquid evaporate) or until the potatoes are cooked through but still have some texture. Add the zucchini, corn, and basil if using fresh; cover and simmer 1 5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Add pepper and cayenne and adjust seasonings, adding salt, garlic, or more herbs if you wish. At this point you may remove the soup from the heat and let it sit until shortly before serving, when you will bring it back to a simmer and cook the fish.
While the stew is simmering, prepare the mussels. Clean them well in several rinses of cold water). Bring the wine and water to a boil in a large lidded pot and add the mussels or clams Steam 5 minutes or until the shells open, shaking the pan once to distribute evenly. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside. Discard any that have not opened.
Fifteen to 20 minutes before serving, bring the soup to a simmer and add the orange zest and saffron Adjust seasonings and add water if the broth seems too thick or if there’s not enough of it to cover the seafood. If you add water, adjust the seasonings again. Add the fish, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and falls apart. Serve at once, garnishing each bowl with mussels or clams, chopped fresh parsley, and a lemon wedge.