fish soup recipe #2

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1 kg fresh mussels (cleaned)1 hen crab 300 g fresh hake (with bones)100 ml Noilly Prat100 ml white wine or dry cider for cooking themussels500 ml fish stock, made with crab shells, fishbones and smoked pork rib (available form Portuguese deli)1 kg fresh tomatoes, slow baked and sieved1 bunch flat parsley5 cloves garlic5 shallotsbay leafsaffron strands1 star anise1 celery stick peeled and diced1 bulb of fennel peeled and cubed





This fish soup is based on many variations I havecome across throughout Europe. Primarily it could be compared to aBouillabaisse. It could also be compared to fish soup in Vigo and San Sebastian. In Vigo chopped boiled egg is added to the final soup.
Chopped cuttlefish are also a good addition or even squid.The stock is based on fish stock used to makepaella in Valencia.Youcould add prawns to this dish, the shells make good stock.It will take a day to make but is worth theeffort.

•  The crab should be cooked for 20 mins, allowed to cool, themeat picked and refrigerate, the crab shells are roasted slightlywith the fennel skins and pork rib.

This is the first component of the stock.

• Cook the mussels using white wine and garlic,remove from shells, add the cooking juices to the stock. Place pickedmussels in fridge.
• Gently fry shallots, celery, garlic and parsleystalks, add Noilly prat, star anise and bay leaf then add remainingstock items, water and simmer gently for 45 mins.
• When the stock has cooked pass through very finesieve to remove all shells and bones.

• At this point the hake can be added with thesieved tomato sauce and gently simmered, sprinkle in 6 strands ofsaffron, then add the cubed roasted fennel, as the hake begins to cookadd the remaining mussels and crab meat.
• Sprinkle in chopped parsley. Remove from heat.

Serve with corn bread or sour dough and a reallycheap, cold vinho verde or even an albarino from across the border.