Gourmet Italian

photo credit: Maggie Hoffman

Most Italians love fish soup.  And it really should be no surprise, because Italy has miles upon miles of shoreline and countless lakes and rivers.  There are so many variations on healthy Italian fish soups, but this one seems to be quite special.  It is called Zuppa di Pesce Castagna.  Zuppa is Italian for “soup” and Pesce is Italian for “fish“.  Castagna is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, which many acclaim as the best Italian restaurant in the entire city.

A while back, this recipe was requested in the SOS column in the LA Times.  Apparently, the person who requested it had enjoyed this healthy Italian dish at Castagna and couldn’t get it out of his mind, and he wanted to try to make it at home.  “Ambrosia”, he said.  Well, that’s pretty high praise, so I had to try it.  It really is a sensational dish with a depth of flavor that comes from the leek, fennel, and lemon.  It has a nice rich broth and a little kick of chile to liven it up just a tad.

There are two things I really like about this recipe – you can make a good portion of it the day before and you can vary the  fish and shellfish according to what is fresh in your area.  Would you like to try your hand at this healthy Italian delight?
This serves 8, so vary the recipe according to the number of guests you will be serving.

First of all, make your soup base.  Coarsely chop and wash 4 leeks (white part only) and 1 fennel bulb (white part only).  Saute these in 3 tablespoons of good olive oil over medium-high heat until translucent.  Then stir in 1 arbol chile, seeded and 4 tablespoons tomato paste.  Cook this for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture darkens and thickens a bit.  Now stir in two tablespoons of arborio rice and two quarts of fish stock.  Scrape up any flavorings from the bottom of the pan to incorporate it into your base.  Bring to a fast simmer, than reduce the heat and continue cooking until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.  Cool a bit and puree in a blender until smooth and pass through a sieve.  Adjust the flavor with salt, lemon juice and a bit of Pernod – to taste.

Now saute 1/4 cup chopped shallots in 2 tablespoons of oil.  Stir in 24 de-bearded mussels, 24 clams and 1/4 cup dry white wine and salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer until clams and mussels open.  Stir in your soup base and 16 prawns and 16 quartered scallops.  Simmer gently until the shellfish are cooked and add 1/4 cup of chopped chives.

Cut l pound of cod or other firm white fish into 2-inch pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper and dredge with flour.  Put about 1/4 cup of olive oil i a hot pan and saute until fish is golden brown on each side – 3 or 4 minutes per side.

Ready to serve!  Divide the soup among eight warm bowls and top with the fish!  This is optional, but I like to top each bowl with a spoonful of creamy anchovy aioli. I hope you enjoy this healthy Italian bit of ambrosia!  Don’t forget the crusty bread!

Watch a famous chef make Bill Clinton’s favorite Italian Fish Soup here!

Mangia Bene!

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