Ligurian Fish Soup

Ingredients

• 0.5 bunch Parsley
• 0.5 bunch Basil
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 stalk leek
• 1 stalk Celery
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 1 large ripe beef tomato
• 1 kg mixed whole Mediterranean fish
• 250 g raw shrimp (in shell)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 0.25 l dry white wine
• 1 piece organic lemon zest
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tsp Tomato paste
• white bread slices

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the herbs and shake them dry. Pick off the basil and some of the parsley leaves and set aside; chop the rest with stems roughly. Clean the leek and slice into thin rings. Wash, peel, and dice the carrots. Peel and finely mince the onion. Peel and finely mince two garlic cloves. Dice the tomato. Rinse the fish and remove the gills. Cut the fish with bones into large pieces. Wash, clean, shell, devein, and set aside the shrimp (do not discard shells).

2. 2.

   Sauté the vegetables (except the tomato) with herbs, onions, garlic, and fennel seeds in 2 tbsp oil. Add the fish and shrimp shells, cook briefly, deglaze with wine, reduce until almost evaporated. Top up with about 1½ l water. Add the tomato, herb sprigs, bay leaves, and lemon zest; season lightly with salt and pepper and simmer covered over low heat for about an hour.

3. 3.

   Remove the fish flesh from the soup, finely chop it. Strain the soup through a sieve, pressing out solids. Return the strained liquid to the pot, stir in the chopped fish pieces. Season with salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Chop remaining herbs. Halve the shrimp lengthwise and fry in 2 tbsp oil for about one minute. Peel the remaining garlic. Toast bread and rub with garlic, place in shallow bowls, ladle soup over it, and garnish with shrimp and herbs.