Brodetto di Pesce aka Fish Soup
|A nice fish soup is a joy. While this liquid isn’t as clarified, I think it is still a delicious way to eat some fish and have that inimitable warmth of a soup spreading through your body. Also, my lovely wife and I ran across some fantastic seafood at the store and she told me to make something with them. A note on nomenclature – I didn’t call this a “zuppa” because I was more focused on the broth. I went with “Brodetto” because of the amount of broth involved in the final product. I am certain there are variations of both names for a dish similar to this all over Italy, so I will just make this disclaimer here.
Brodetto di Pesce
- 1/2lb Bay Scallops
- 1/2lb (or more) shrimp, shells reserved
- 1/2lb White fish
- 1tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ Cup chopped parsley
- ½ Cup Dry white wine, like a nice pinot grigio or dry riesling
- 1 Onion, Quartered
- 2 Carrots, chopped large
- Thyme to taste
- 1 Bay leaf
Make the Broth
- In a large stock pot or soup pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat
- Add the Onion and Carrots and stir for a few minutes to let them get a little caramalization
- Add 4-6 Cups of Water with the bay and thyme and bring to a boil.
- Add the Shrimp shells, and any other fish bones you may have in your freezer.
- Boil for approximately 10 minutes and reduce to medium heat to simmer another 15-20 minutes
- Strain the broth and discard the liquids. If you use a cheesecloth, you may be able to get it even clearer.
Make the Soup
- In a large soup out, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat with the crushed red pepper flakes.
- After 3-4 minutes, add 4 cups of the broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the wine
- Add the white fish. Simmer for ten minutes.
- Add the scallops and shrimp; simmer for another 5-10 minutes until all the seafood is cooked through but still tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in most of the parsley
- Serve and garnish with a little extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley for garnish
To make this more “Roman”
Broth
Step 2. Add 2 whole garlic cloves with the onions and carrots.
Soup
Step 3. Add 1 minced garlic clove and a second teaspoon (or more to taste) of crushed red pepper flakes with the wine.
To make this more of a ciopinno
Leave the shellfish in their shells.
Soup
Step 2. Bloom a pinch of saffron in 1/2C of the warmed stock while the rest comes to a simmer
Step 3. Add 2 medium tomatoes, chopped, with the wine and return the saffron infused stock to the pot
To make more of a bouillabaisse
Soup
Step 2. Bloom a pinch of saffron in 1/2C of the warmed stock while the rest comes to a simmer
Step 3. Add 1 medium tomato, chopped, 1 medium potato, chopped, and 1 medium bulb of fennel, sliced with the wine