Fish soup
Instructions:
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- Coarsely crush the garlic cloves with the back of a knife or a pestle.
- Heat half of the oil in a large pan and fry the garlic gently for a few minutes until golden.
- Add the sofrito and fry gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Leave any small fish whole. For larger fish, use sharp scissors or a sharp knife to cut them into coarse, large pieces.
- Add them to the pan.
- Sprinkle in the paprika, then add the water.
- Cook the soup for 20 minutes at a gentle simmer.
- While the soup cooks, fry the bread slices in a frying pan with the remaining oil until deep golden.
- Strain the soup into another large saucepan.
- Add the fried bread and the picada to the pan, then cook for another 10 minutes.
- Process the soup with a hand-held blender until smooth. You could also use a blender.
- Season with salt.
- Pour in the pastis or other anise-flavor liqueur.
- Serve with croutons if you like.