Israeli Kitchen

Fish grilled, fish baked, fish fried… my husband is complaining already. So I said I’d bring meat back to the table. Then I saw frozen pink tuna on sale at the supermarket. The only frozen fish worth buying here are salmon and Nile perch, but I looked at the package and imagined rich, aromatic fish soup with red peppers and cilantro and chunks of vegetables – and a little spill of olive oil in each bowl…oh dear.

Well, I guess I can fry him a couple of hamburgers.

Mimi’s Fish Soup

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tblsp. olive oil, and more at serving time

About 1 kg. deboned fish. Use any combination of large, firm pieces and smaller, more delicate fish. For this soup I used 600 grams of pink tuna and 500 grams frozen red mullet fillets.

1 medium onion

3 large cloves garlic

1 large tomato (I had a handful of cherry tomatoes and no other plans for them, so I halved them and chucked them in.)

2 stalks celery

1 large carrot

1 young leek

optional: one other vegetable. Squash, fresh mushrooms, or green beans are good: about 1 cup of any.

1/2 red bell pepper

1 pinch saffron

1 pinch dried or 1 sprig fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper, or 4 turns of the pepper grinder

1 large handful chopped parsley or cilantro

Hint: kids like this soup blended, with some whole corn kernels in it.

Method:

1. Peel and chop all the vegetables into chunks. Reserve the bell pepper chunks.

2. Sauté the vegetables, except for the bell pepper, in the olive oil. While you’re stirring, add the thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.

3. Cover the pan and let the vegetables steam for 10 minutes.

4. Add water to cover, and bring to a low boil.

5. Add the saffron. Simmer the vegetable stock for another 15 minutes.

6. Add the fish. If using two or more kinds of fish, add the firmer pieces now. Maintain a low boil and cook the soup 15 minutes longer.

7. Add any smaller or more delicate pieces of fish. Add the chopped red pepper. The reason for adding it at this point is that it will maintain its bright color and make the soup attractive.  Lower the flame and cook the soup a further 10 minutes.

8. Add the chopped parsley or cilantro, stir well, and turn the flame off.

Add a little splash of olive oil to each bowl. Serve with plenty of hot garlic bread.