Soupe de Poisson
Soup:
- 2 pounds fish bones, including the heads, from white fleshed fish, such as cod, halibut, haddock, or flounder
- 1 pound inexpensive white fish pieces, such as cod bellies, perch, or pollack
- 2 pounds lobster bodies (the body—where the legs attach—should be rinsed clean of tomalley and any loose viscera; discard the carapace, the outer shell)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, skin on (for color), coarsely chopped
- 1 leek, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, and swirled vigorously in a bowl of cold water to remove any grit
- 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed of stalks and tough outer layers, cut in half lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, cut in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or high-quality canned tomatoes
- 2 oranges, peel and pith removed, cut into chunks, plus juice from an additional orange if necessary
- ⅓ cup Pernod, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons paprika, preferably Spanish
- 2 large pinches of saffron
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 baguette French bread, sliced into 18 to 24 slices ½ inch thick, toasted
- 1 cup Rouille
- 1 cup grated Gruyère
Instructions:
Soupe de Poisson is a rustic dish, created by fishermen from the tiny unwanted fish left at the bottom of the net.
- Using kitchen shears, remove the eyeballs and gills from the fish heads. Put the bones and heads (not the fish or lobster bodies) in a large pot and rinse under cold running water for at least 30 minutes. Drain.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Spread the fish bones and heads in a large roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add the fish and lobster bodies. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss well. Spread everything in an even layer. Roast for 30 minutes, or until everything is golden brown. When cool, chop or break the bones and lobster bodies into 2-inch pieces.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add the onion, leek, celery, fennel, carrot, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the roasted fish bones and heads, and fish and lobster bodies, along with the white wine. Continue cooking until the liquid has reduced by one-third. You will have to use your best judgment, since the pot will be full of seafood and vegetables; in any event, cook no longer than 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining soup ingredients to the stockpot and add enough water to just barely cover the bones. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 40 minutes.
- Purée everything—bones and all—in the food processor, as finely as possible. You will have to do this in batches, pouring the purée into a bowl or other container as you finish each batch. Then pound the purée firmly through a coarse China cap (metal strainer) to strain out the large pieces. The resulting soup will be slightly grainy. If the soup seems too thin, return it to the stove and reduce. Taste for seasoning and add more orange juice, Pernod, salt, and pepper if necessary.
- To serve, pour the olive oil into warmed soup bowls, then ladle in the soup. Serve immediately, offering the croutons, rouille, and Gruyère. It’s accepted practice to place a dollop of rouille on a crouton, sprinkle it with grated cheese, and then set it afloat in your soup.