Soupe de Poisson

Method

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1. Soften the onions and fennel in the oil for 12 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 2 minutes.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

2. Add the whole fish and stir them around over high heat for 5 minutes until they begin to break up.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

3. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, saffron, orange peel, bay, salt and water. Bring to the boil and simmer 40 minutes.

   Mark done

4. Fish out the orange peel and bay. Now pass the entire contents of the pot through a mouli fitted with the medium plate, in batches, pressing hard.

   Mark done

5. Pass the resulting liquid through a fine sieve as well and return it to the pan. Taste for salt.

   Mark done

6. For the rouille, whisk the yolks with the garlic, harissa, saffron and salt, then add the oil drop by drop as for mayonnaise until thick.

   Mark done

7. Serve the soup very hot, with toasted baguette, rouille and grated cheese for people to add themselves.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Small bony fish, never fillets. The bones are the body.
• A mouli, not a blender.
• Serve the rouille and cheese separately so people build their own.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the chilli in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Toasted baguette
• A glass of Cassis blanc
• Green salad

Storage & Reheating

The soup keeps 3 days refrigerated and freezes for 3 months. Make the rouille fresh.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.