How to Prepare a Provençal Fish Soup

One of the great fish soups of France is that found in Provencal and around Marseille in particular. There is an immediate likeness to the classic Bouillabaise but it is rather of a stew that we are thinking of than this loveliness. This is one of those really robust flavoursome soups that draws on plenty of vegetables such as celery and leeks with of course fish but not oily fish. It seems to be a soup too that builds up flavour like a deep sensuous red wine.

A number of chefs have their own versions. Rick Stein starts off his TV programme ‘Taste of The Sea’ on BBC with exactly this recipe which appears to be a signature dish of his. I have the impression it is a mainstay of his Padstow restaurants.  His version has croutons and a rouille which just piles on flavour. The sea sickness had taken over all the TV crew including Rick save that he clearly had rallied on such a churning sea when he saw all the fish that he might take care of.  Makes for uncomfortable viewing knowing how I feel on a rolling ship!

Elizabeth David, a generation at least from the 50s and 60s also discusses the Provencal Fish Soup in some detail in her book on French Provincial Cooking and it is a great prose of what it contained going back in antiquity. The version here is one that I saw in the fine city of Lincoln recently. Whilst not on the sea, there was plenty of fish to be had – mostly North Sea rather than the Med. but none the less drawing on all those classic Southern French idioms of flavour and taste that characterise the cooking down there.

Fish of course play a key role in this dish but they almost share equal billing with the vegetables. The fish was probably bits and pieces that was not used in other dishes. Chefs today use as a good quality as any fish they find because spoilt meat would ruin the aroma for a start.  The fish stock is probably bought for convenience but we can suggest making your own version with details given elsewhere on this site.

As to vegetables, the proportions can shift because it depends on what is available but make sure that plenty of onion, garlic and fennel are used. To create more flavour why not roast some of these vegetables – the red peppers certainly could do with it to generate a slightly pimento charred note.  The seasonings are also critical – saffron, bay and thyme generate a wonderful ambience. the version I had may have had some rosemary because it was pungent with herbs.  The rouille and croutons make a wonderful garnish.

Drink with a good rose. I don’t mind a bad one either as long as it doesn’t detract from the soup.

Serves 5 to 6 people. Preparation time: 40 minutes; Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 900g -1kg mixed seafood like cod, bass, ling, herring, conger eel, wrasse, mullet, gurnard and squid. All these need to be filleted with the skin removed. 
• 90ml – 100ml olive oil – good quality needed
• 100g each of onion, celery, leek and fennel (bulb and green fronds), roughly chopped.
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 or 3 orange zest strips
• 200g chopped tomatoes (it could be a can if necessary but that might make it too tomato-like and acid.
• 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced. I would roast the red pepper.
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 thyme sprig
• A good pinch of saffron – really important for ambience
• ½ tsp chilli flakes or some cayenne pepper
• 100g unpeeled prawns
• 1.2 litres fish stock
• Juice of 1/2 an orange
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan (stock pot is preferable), add the vegetables and garlic and cook gently for 20-25 minutes until soft but not coloured. Rick says let the vegetables sweat in their own juices which evokes so much!
2. Add the orange zest, red pepper, bay leaves, thyme, saffron, chilli flakes and the fish fillets (whole).
3. Fry for up to 10 minutes. Stir so the fish flesh starts to break down.  Then add the prawns, the strained stock , bring to the boil.
4. Add the tinned tomatoes and orange juice then simmer for 40 minutes.
5. Liquidise the soup using a hand held mixer. Don’t worry about the shells as the whole soup mix is passed through a sieve into a clean pan, pressing out as much liquid as possible with the back of a ladle. Return the soup to the heat and season to taste.
6. The rouille is mayonnaise to which is added chopped garlic, chilli and some saffron. The amounts are your invention alone!
7. Serve with croutons which float on the surface, topped with a dollop of rouille and a sprinkling of Parmesan, Gruyere, Emmental – any really good hard flavoured cheese.