Italian Fish Soup Recipes

CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
• Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

ITALIAN FISH SOUP

Steps:

• Thaw the fish fillets and shrimp, if frozen.
• Rinse fish and shrimp; pat dry with paper towels.
• Cut the fish into 1-inch pieces; halve the shrimp lengthwise.
• Chill.
• In a large saucepan combine the 3 cups water, tomatoes, carrots, celery, wine or water, onion bouillon, marjoram, orange peel, garlic, bay leaves, and hot pepper sauce.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender.
• Stir in tomato paste.
• Add fish and shrimp to saucepan.
• Bring mixture just to boiling; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer about 5 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and shrimp turn pink.
• Discard bay leaves.
• To serve, ladle into soup bowls.
• Place a slice of Italian bread on each serving.
• Serve immediately.

ITALIAN FISH SOUP

Steps:

• Make soup:
• Rinse squid under cold running water and pat dry. If squid are large, halve ring of tentacles, then cut longer tentacles crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Pull off flaps from squid bodies and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings.
• Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear shrimp in 2 batches, turning over once, until golden but not cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
• Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano to pot and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add wine and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in clams and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 6 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened clams after 8 minutes.) Stir in mussels and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 3 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened mussels after 6 minutes.)
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Add stock to pot along with remaining 4 cups water, tomatoes with juice, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
• Make toasts while stock simmers:
• Arrange bread slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet, then drizzle with oil and season with salt. Bake, turning over once, until golden, about 10 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool slightly, then rub lightly with cut sides of garlic and sprinkle with parsley.
• Finish soup:
• Add halibut to stock and cook at a bare simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in squid and reserved shellfish, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 minute. Stir in basil and parsley and serve immediately, with toasts alongside for dipping.

SAVOURY ITALIAN FISH SOUP (BRODETTO)

Steps:

• In a large stock pot over medium high heat add olive oil, celery, spring onion, marjoram, parsley, thyme, and garlic sauti until onions begin to become transparent about 5 minutes.
• Add the vinegar, cherry tomatoes, peperoncino, canned whole tomato, cuttlefish and wine.
• Allow to come up to a simmer and then cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the Bass by placing on top of the broth and very gently pushing the fish down.
• Allow to cook 5 minutes.
• Add the mussels, razor clams, shrimp, and squid by placing on top of broth and fish gently pushing down with a large ladle and basting the shell fish with the hot broth.
• Cover stockpot with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until mussels and clams are all open and shrimp and squid are cooked through.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Carefully remove to serving platter and sprinkle parsley on top.