Kakavia (fish soup)
8 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| Karen Mintzias | ||
| 1½ | kilograms | Fish trimmings |
| 3 | litres | Water |
| Salt | ||
| Whole peppercorns | ||
| 2 | larges | Onions; chopped |
| 2 | Garlic cloves; crushed | |
| 2 | Leeks (optional) white part only | |
| 1 | cup | Chopped carrot |
| 1 | cup | Chopped celery (with leaves) |
| ½ | cup | Olive oil |
| 2 | cups | Chopped, peeled tomatoes |
| 2 | Bay leaves | |
| 4 | Sprigs parsley | |
| 1 | Sprig thyme | |
| 750 | grams | Potatoes; peeled & sliced |
| Parsley; chopped | ||
| 1½ | kilograms | Mixed whole fish |
| 500 | grams | Green lobster tails |
| 500 | grams | Large green prawns |
| 2 | tablespoons | Lemon juice |
Directions
FISH (SEE NOTE
Obtain from the fishmonger fish trimmings such as heads and backbones. Rinse well and place in a large pot. Add water, salt and ½ teaspoon peppercorns and simmer for 2 hours. Strain stock and reserve.
Gently fry onion, garlic, chopped leeks, carrots and celery in oil for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, herbs tied into a bunch and reserved fish stock.
Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and boil for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat, add fish pieces and simmer 3 minutes, then add lobster pieces and prawns and simmer for 7-10 minutes until prawns turn pink and lobster meat is cooked. Do not boil when shellfish are added for they will toughen.
Pile fish, shellfish and potatoes in a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and keep hot.
Serve soup in a tureen as a first course with crusty bread, then follow with seafoods and potatoes served with lemon wedges and a cruet of olive oil.
Alternatively soup, potatoes and seafoods may be served together in deep plates. NOTE: Fish and shellfish preparation: Fish suitable are snapper, mullet, eel, whiting, john dory and bream. Cut into 5 cm (2 inch) slices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add heads and trimmings to fish stock. Cut rinsed lobster tails into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces with shell on. Shell and de-vein prawns.
Source: The Greek Cookbook by Tess Mallos Typos by: Karen Mintzias