Mediterranean Fish Soup and Red Pepper Rouille

RECIPES

Jul 10th 2012, 16:51

Justine Drake cooks seafood soup for Two Oceans

Warm up this winter with a robust seafood soup, filled with the bounty of the sea (all WWF SASSI-approved) and topped with a rouille for that extra spark of flavour. Justine Drake’s recipe offers some simple tips to enrich the flavour. Virtually foolproof to create, it makes a great heart-warming starter or main course. She suggests serving it with crusty bread to mop up the flavours and teaming it up with Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc.

Mediterranean Fish Soup and Red Pepper Rouille

You don't have to make the rouille (a creamy red pepper, garlic and chilli sauce), but it really does take this soup to a whole new level. Also, the addition of the odd fish head or shellfish carcass adds depth of flavour - ask your fish monger for a few, but remember to remove them before serving!

Mediterranean Fish Soup

Ingredients

2 to 3 Tbsp (30 – 45 ml) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
1 bulb fennel, finely sliced
1 litre chicken or fish stock
1 cup (250 ml) Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc
6 to 8 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
5 ml (1 tsp) each sugar and salt
Fish heads and shellfish carcasses (optional)
500 g filleted white fish, skinned and cubed, such as hake, panga, santer or gurnard
250 g calamari rings
250 g mussels
4 ripe tomatoes cut into wedges
Milled pepper
Handful of parsley, chopped

Method

Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté garlic and paprika for about 30 seconds.
Add onion, carrots, celery and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add stock, wine, peppercorns, bay leaf, sugar and salt.
If you have fish heads or bones, now is the time to toss them in.
Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove fish heads and bones and add fresh fish, calamari, mussels and tomatoes.
Cook for 5 to 8 minutes and remove from heat.
Stir in parsley and adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve with lots of crusty bread and rouille.

Rouille

Ingredients

2 red peppers, char-grilled and peeled
1 red chilli, char-grilled and peeled
2 cloves garlic, char-grilled and peeled
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 tsp (5 ml) paprika
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh, white breadcrumbs
Salt and milled pepper

Method

Peel peppers, chilli and garlic and place flesh in a food processor.
Add breadcrumbs, paprika and seasoning.
Pulse, adding olive oil, bit by bit.
The mixture should be thick but spreadable (if the rouille is not spreadable enough, add a spoonful or two of the broth below to thin it and pulse again)

Serves 4

TO DRINK: Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc

For more delicious seafood recipes paired with Two Oceans wines, visit www.twooceanswines.co.za or . For more information on WWF SASSI go to the website (www.wwf.org.za/sassi) or mobi site (wwfsassi.mobi). Click here for more information on Two Oceans Wines