Fishermen’s Soup

Name: Fishermen's Soup
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients: 2 1 ⁄ 2 - 3 lb. cleaned assorted whole (heads-on) small white-fleshed ocean fish such as hake, whiting, and monkfish, cut into large pieces; 2 small waxy potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced; Freshly ground black pepper; 10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped; Salt; 1 ⁄ 3 cup olive oil; 1 egg yolk; 1 tsp. white wine vinegar; 12-18 slices baguette, toasted; 4 oz. gruyère, grated

Serves
serves 4-6

(Soupe des Pecheurs)

This is Chez Magne's version of the pureed fish soup typical in coastal France.

Ingredients

2 ¹⁄₂ - 3 lb. cleaned assorted whole (heads-on) small white-fleshed ocean fish such as hake, whiting, and monkfish, cut into large pieces
2 small waxy potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
10 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt
¹⁄₃ cup olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
12-18 slices baguette, toasted
4 oz. gruyère, grated

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Instructions

Step 1

Put fish, potatoes, and pepper to taste into a medium pot. Add enough water to cover fish (about 5 cups) and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam as it rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour.

Step 2

Meanwhile, crush garlic and 1 tbsp. salt together with a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste. Gradually drizzle in oil, stirring and crushing constantly with the pestle until a smooth paste forms. Set garlic paste aside.

Step 3

Working in small batches, put soup mixture (heads, bones, and all) into a food processor and pulse 5–7 times or until mixture is coarsely ground. Pass soup through a food mill into a large bowl, pressing as much of the solids through as possible. Finally, purée soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot and heat over medium heat until hot. Whisk garlic paste into soup and adjust seasonings. Whisk egg yolk and vinegar together in a small bowl, whisk a ladleful of the hot soup into the egg mixture, then stir egg mixture back into soup. Do not allow soup to boil; it will curdle.

Step 4

To serve, put 3 croutons into each of 4–6 soup bowls, top each crouton with some cheese, then ladle soup into bowls.

Put fish, potatoes, and pepper to taste into a medium pot. Add enough water to cover fish (about 5 cups) and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam as it rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, crush garlic and 1 tbsp. salt together with a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste. Gradually drizzle in oil, stirring and crushing constantly with the pestle until a smooth paste forms. Set garlic paste aside.
Working in small batches, put soup mixture (heads, bones, and all) into a food processor and pulse 5–7 times or until mixture is coarsely ground. Pass soup through a food mill into a large bowl, pressing as much of the solids through as possible. Finally, purée soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pot and heat over medium heat until hot. Whisk garlic paste into soup and adjust seasonings. Whisk egg yolk and vinegar together in a small bowl, whisk a ladleful of the hot soup into the egg mixture, then stir egg mixture back into soup. Do not allow soup to boil; it will curdle.
To serve, put 3 croutons into each of 4–6 soup bowls, top each crouton with some cheese, then ladle soup into bowls.