Savoury Italian Fish Soup (Brodetto)

Izzy Knight's Note:

An aromatic traditional Italian soup, flagrant with fresh herbs, clams, shrimps, and sea bass. An out-of-the-world comfort food without the packing calorie. *recipe revised from foodtv.ca

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 stalks celery & leaves , cleaned chopped in to 1/2 inch pieces
• 5 small spring onions , with green tops white and green part sliced 1/4 i thick
• 2 sprigs marjoram
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 4 cloves garlic , smashed
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 24 cherry tomatoes , cut in half
• 2 pepperoncini peppers , cut in half
• 1 (16 ounce) can plum tomatoes , lightly crush with your hands
• ¾ lb cuttlefish , cleaned and sliced 1 inch thick
• 3 cups dry white wine
• 2 (1 ¾ lb) sea bass or 2 (1 ¾ lb) striped bass , head and tail on,gutted and scaled,cut in half across the mid section
• 12 mussels , scrubbed
• 6 razor clams
• 6 large shrimp , head on
• ½ lb squid , cleaned and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• salt and pepper , to taste
• 1 bunch Italian parsley , finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot over medium high heat add olive oil, celery, spring onion, marjoram, parsley, thyme, and garlic sauti until onions begin to become transparent about 5 minutes.
2. Add the vinegar, cherry tomatoes, peperoncino, canned whole tomato, cuttlefish and wine.
3. Allow to come up to a simmer and then cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the Bass by placing on top of the broth and very gently pushing the fish down.
5. Allow to cook 5 minutes.
6. Add the mussels, razor clams, shrimp, and squid by placing on top of broth and fish gently pushing down with a large ladle and basting the shell fish with the hot broth.
7. Cover stockpot with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until mussels and clams are all open and shrimp and squid are cooked through.
8. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
9. Carefully remove to serving platter and sprinkle parsley on top.

Reviews

[Coasty]

I made this last week for a dinner party and served it with grilled Italian bread and a green salad - everyone came back for 2nds. We don't get razor clams in Australia so I added some pippis. I made this as part off Zaar Chef Alphabet Soup Game (July - Dec '09)