Zuppa di pesce a modo mio – My Fish Soup

On Saturdays, I buy my fish from a stall in the farmers' market, where I enjoy going early in the morning in order to get the best choice. Yesterday the fish looked wonderful so I decided to make a fish soup, a simple and quick one with a mixed of firm-flesh fishes plus few prawns. I picked up a wild sea bream and two mullets the fishmonger cleaned for me and I kept the bones and the heads for the stock. 

As for the vegetables, I filled my basket with fennels, celery, cherry tomatoes and parsley, essential ingredients for my dish. Carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic are always in my pantry. 

Once at home, in less than an hour the soup was served.

Zuppa di pesce a modo mio – My Fish Soup

2 red onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled, halved and core removed
¼ teaspoon dried chilli
300 g small waxy potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
2 carrots, finely sliced
2 medium fennels, trimmed, quartered and finely sliced
1 celery stick, peeled and sliced
150 g green peas, frozen
100 ml dry white wine
200 g tin chopped tomatoes
12 cherry tomatoes
2 bay leaves
800 ml fish stock
A pinch of saffron
A good handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
600 g mixed firm-flesh fish (mullet, bream, prawns) already cleaned and cut into 5 cm pieces, skin on
Few drops of fresh lemon juice
Sea salt
Extra virgin oil

Serves 5 to 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

1. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt on low heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and chili and cook for 1 minute. 
2. Stir in potatoes, carrots, fennels and celery and cook for another 3 minutes. 
3. Add peas and cook for 1 minute. 
4. Pour in the wine and leave to evaporate, 1 minute. 
5. Incorporate the tomatoes and the bay leaves; pour in the stock and leave to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just cooked. 
6. Dissolve the saffron in 1 tablespoon of hot water and stir into the soup. 
7. Add parsley. 
8. Place the prawns and fish on top of the vegetables, skin up. Cover with a lid and gently cook for 5 minutes. 
9. Remove the fish and the vegetables with a slotted spoon and divide between 5 to 6 large bowls. 
10. Add the lemon juice to the cooking broth and pour it over the fish. 
11. Drizzle with oil and serve with a slice of country bread.