Le bernardin fish soup

6 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
2tablespoonsExtra-virgin olive oil
2largesGarlic heads; cloves smashed,
And peeled
1mediumOnion; peeled
2Celery stalks; thinly sliced
1mediumCarrot; peeled, sliced
1mediumFennel bulb
1smallBay leaf
2Segments from a star anise
1teaspoonFennel seeds
2teaspoonsSaffron threads
1Piece orange peel; 1 1/2\" square
5Sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1cupBest-quality tomato paste
2largesTomatoes; diced
Fine sea salt
Freshly-ground white pepper
½cupDry white wine
5cupsFish Fumet; (see recipe)
9poundsSmall white non-oily fish
Such as red snapper or bass
1pinchCayenne pepper
18slicesFrench baguette; 1/2\" thick
½Garlic clove; peeled
cupFinely-grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

Halve onion lengthwise and thinly slice. Thinly slice fennel crosswise. In a large, wide stockpot set over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, fennel, bay leaf, star anise, fennel seeds, saffron threads, orange peel, parsley sprigs, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add the wine, and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until almost all the wine evaporates, about 1½ minutes. Add the fish fumet, and simmer about 20 minutes. Clean and debone fish, remove heads and cut each fish across into 4 or 5 pieces (leaving about 6 pounds fish). Add fish; simmer for 20 minutes more, pressing on the fish often with the back of a wooden spoon to break up the flesh. Continue to simmer until fish is in very small pieces, about 20 minutes more. Transfer the soup to a food mill fitted with a fine disk placed over a large bowl, and pass the soup through. Return the soup to the cleaned stockpot. Over high heat, bring the soup to a boil, whisking frequently to prevent the bottom from scalding. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and white pepper to taste.

Toast the baguette slices, and rub each one with the garlic clove.

Distribute the soup evenly into six bowls. Place a baguette slice in each bowl of soup; the bread should float directly in the soup. Sprinkle the baguette and soup generously with cheese, and serve. Serves 6.

Source: "Martha Stewart Living - (www.marthastewart.com)" S(Formatted for MC5): "by Lynn Thomas - Lynn_Thomas@..." Per serving: 108 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (44% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 70mg Sodium Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 ½ Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Recipe by: Recipe from Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert Converted by MM_Buster v2.0n.