Fish Soup Recipe

Fish Soup Provencal

Easy Fish Soup

By Chef Lucia Watson

This soup has a few ingredients to gather, but it's easy to prepare and sure to be a favorite as a first course for a dinner, or as the main course. This also is an easy one to make ahead at home, chill and then take out onto the ice or into the field, where fresh fish can be added after the soup's been reheated over a fire.

To serve four . . .

1 lb. walleye, bass, pike, or burbot fillets, skinned, deboned, cut into one-inch chunks

1/4 c. olive oil

1 lg. yellow onion, chopped

1 leek, washed and chopped

1 c. mixed sweet peppers, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced small

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 c. white wine

4 c. chicken stock

4 c. peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes

1 tsp. dry basil

1 tsp. dry thyme

1 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted and crushed

A few shots of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

» Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, carrot, peppers, garlic, and potatoes and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

» Add the wine, stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and herbs. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the flavors have blended.

» Add the fish and simmer about 10 minutes or until it's tender.

» Taste the soup and add lemon or salt, or more Tabasco if desired. Serve the soup in bowls with a big crouton and a dollop of lemon aioli.

Lemon Aioli

2 egg yolks

1 clove garlic

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Zest from one lemon

Few drops Tabasco sauce

Few drops Worcestershire sauce

3/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. vegetable oil

» In a blender put all ingredients except the oils and the zest of lemon. With the blender running, slowly, drop by drop, add the oils so the yolks absorb them. Thin down the mixture if necessary by adding droplets of warm water.

» Remove from the blender, fold in the zest, and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. n

Fish Soup Recipe