Fish soup recipe

The bones and shells from fish and seafood are too good for the bin. I strongly recommend freezing shells, bones and heads and making them into soup when you have enough.

Whatever is left of the soup, you can freeze for another time or use as a base for a fish stew. This is delicious on its own, or you can make a rouille to stir through it.

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves

4-6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1kg fish bones, trimmings and/or shellfish shells, chopped into small chunks – heads, tails and scales included

• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped

• 1 medium leek, roughly chopped

• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and roughly chopped, or 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 medium potato, peeled and roughly chopped

• 6 garlic cloves, chopped

• a good pinch of saffron

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 3 juniper berries

• 1 bay leaf

• a few thyme sprigs

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 x 230g tin chopped tomatoes

• 4 litres of fish stock, homemade or shop-bought

Method

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and gently fry the fish trimmings, shells, vegetables, garlic, spices and herbs for 4-5 minutes, with a lid on, stirring every so often.

2. Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and fish stock. Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

3. Blend about a third of the soup in a liquidiser (bones, shells and all), return it to the pan and simmer gently for another 20 minutes.

4. Strain the soup through a sieve or conical strainer and re-season if necessary.