Zuppa di Pesce Recipe

Keep your friends close, your guests closer…

In Italian, Zuppa means soup and pesce means fish. So we’re talking about fish soup – Zuppa di Pesce. And just for general knowledge, dormire con i pesci means sleep with the fishes! Now, on to the best Italian Zuppa di Pesce recipe.

First, the ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil: 4 tablespoons
• Garlic cloves (chopped finely): 4
• Red onion (chopped finely): 1 (medium sized)
• Red pepper flakes: 1 tablespoon (crushed)
• White wine (dry): 2 cups
• Fresh tomatoes (chopped): 1 cup
• Giant crayfish: 8
• Mussels (Scrubbed, rinsed and bearded): 8
• Razor clams: 8
• Young red mullet: 8
• Country bread: 4 slices (1-inch thick)
• Garlic clove: 1
• Italian parsley (finely chopped): 2 bunches (for 1/2 cup yield)
• Fresh marjoram (only leaves): 1 bunch
• Basic tomato sauce: 2 cups

Directions:

Start off by heating the olive oil in moderate heat in a large casserole. Next, add the garlic, celery, pepper flakes and onion and cook till the mixture is translucent (approx. 6-8 minutes). Now add the tomato sauce, tomatoes and wine, bringing them to a boil. After this comes the fish and shellfish – add them and bring them to a boil as well by covering them. Once they come to a boil, remove the cover and dial down the heat to a simmer till the shellfish open (approx. 5-6 minutes).

Next, toast the bread and rub it with garlic while the bread’s still hot. Take four bowls and put one slice in each of them. Divide the seafood equally in the bowls. Do the same with the broth and finally sprinkle parsley in the bowls and use marjoram leaves for garnishing. Serve immediately – while this is an Italian dish, its best served hot!

Fatima M.
Freelance Blogger