There are many versions of fish soup, each Italian region has its own. This is a classic version.
Difficulty: medium
Method: 30'
Cooking: 70'
Difficulty: medium
Method: 30'
Cooking: 70'
Remove the shell
Remove the head and put aside
Gently pierce the back of the shrimps and prawns to remove the intestines
Remove the bones from the pieces of monkfish
fillet the redfish, leaving the skin on and keeping the head aside
Fillet the peeled gurnard, leaving the skin on and keeping the head aside
Cut the fish fillets into pieces of similar size
Chop an onion
Fry slightly the chopped onion and garlic clove in extra virgin olive oil without burning them.
Add the washed fish heads
Add the prawn and shrimp heads
Cook over a high flame
Add white wine
Add the tomato pulp and concentrate, chilli, and bay leaf
Add cold water to cover and cook for 45 minutes
Wash the mussels
Tear off the ‘beard’, the sticky membranes popping out the shells
Place the mussels in a frying pan with a little extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic over high heat
Cover with a lid and cook until they open
Drain the mussels and keep their cooking liquid, filtering it through a fine-mesh colander
Let the mussels cool down, then remove from the valves
Wash the calamari
Grab the head of the squid and pull it gently, so that the guts come out
Remove the transparent inner quill
Remove the eyes from the tentacles
Peel and wash the squid
Cut the body and the tentacles into small pieces
Fry them in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil on a medium heat for 5 minutes
Strain the fish stock through a sieve, crushing the heads to get as much of their flavour out as possible
Place the stock in a large saucepan over a low heat
Add the calamari and the monkfish and cook for 5 minutes
Add the redfish and gurnard, the prawns and shrimps, the mussels and their water
Add salt and pepper to taste
Let them cook for another 10 minutes
Slice the bread
Toast them on a grill or a very hot pan
Rub with a peeled clove of garlic too
Wash and chop the parsley
Put the soup in a serving dish
Wet with the cooking broth
Sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley
Accompany with the toasted garlic bread
Pair the fish soup with a dry, floral white wine like a Fiano d’Avellino or a wine with flavour and freshness like a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.
You can also serve a rosé wine like a Rosato del Salento or an elegant, smooth red wine like Schiava from Alto Adige.
The longest part is preparing the fish stock: you can prepare it in advance, even the day before. Filter it when ready and then keep it in the fridge.
This soup version involves cooking the fish very quickly: we suggest not cooking them in advance to not lose the pleasantness of their taste.
Do not forget to make the fish stock: this is the basis of a tasty soup.
Do not skimp on the different qualities of fish to use: the richness of the soup is determined by the fish you choose.
Pay attention to the salt: add it towards the end, as the fish is already tasty, and you will end up with a soup that is too savoury.
When opening the mussels, do not overcook them – they should just open, so they do not become chewy.
Do not cut the fish into different sizes, this way you can cook them together and ensure they are all cooked the same way.
After adding all the fish, do not let the soup cook for more than 10 minutes, so that the meat is soft and succulent.
Some is leftover. Keep the soup in the fridge in an airtight container for the next day.
You can also use for another recipe, by cutting, for example, the fish pieces thinner, and then season pasta.
If you did not use defrosted fish, you can also freeze it in an airtight container.
There are many versions of fish soup, each Italian region has its own. This is a classic version, very convenient to eat because the fish are served already filleted avoiding your guests the unpleasantness of finding bones or having to clean the fish on the plate.
You can also use other varieties of fish; you could ask your local fishmonger to indicate the freshest qualities available.
Remember that a good fish soup should be made up of a good variety of fish and should include:
redfish, gurnard, or similar tasty soup fish
prawns, shrimps, or other crustaceans
mussels or other bivalve molluscs like clams
squid or other cephalopod molluscs like red squid, octopus, or cuttlefish
If buying fish that is already filleted, ask the fishmonger to give you the heads as these are essential to make a good fish stock.
You can also flavour the soup with other herbs, including fresh basil or thyme.
For the fish soup
4 shrimps
4 prawns
400 g of monkfish in slices
800 g of redfish, peeled
800 g of gurnard
500 g of mussels
300 g of calamari
2 cloves of garlic
100 g of onions
1 hot chilli pepper
200 g of tomato pulp
30 g of tomato paste
2 bay leaves
30 g of fresh basil
100 ml white wine
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the bread
1 loaf of durum wheat bread
1 clove of garlic
Pair the fish soup with a dry, floral white wine like a Fiano d’Avellino or a wine with flavour and freshness like a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi.
You can also serve a rosé wine like a Rosato del Salento or an elegant, smooth red wine like Schiava from Alto Adige.
