Ingredients

Method

• 400–500 g fish fillets, such as Cape salmon or yellowtail
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bulb fennel, finely chopped
• 2-3 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 x 400 g can Italian tomatoes in juice, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups fish stock
• fresh baguette or loaf, thickly sliced, for serving
• thick mayonnaise, for serving
• torn fennel fronds, for sprinkling

Method

Ingredients

Rinse the fish and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside or chill.
In a frying pan over a medium to low heat, soften the onion and fennel in the oil until very limp. Stir in the garlic, then the tomatoes. Add the bay leaf and simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour in the stock and simmer, fairly briskly, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Rinse the salt off the fish and cut into chunks. Add to the simmering soup. Turn down the heat to its lowest, cover tightly and leave for 5 minutes.
Check seasoning. Place slices of baguette in wide soup bowls, then ladle over the soup and fish, add a dollop of mayonnaise and sprinkle with fennel.

Cook’s notes:
Add a few chopped anchovies and the juice and grated peel of an orange for a flavour twist.
Substitute fennel with celery and dill, and use boiled potatoes instead of bread.

Leftovers?

Serve leftover soup, sprinkled with grated Gruyère, as a sauce with pasta.

Or, add a glass of wine to it, along with a sprinkling of parsley, and use for steaming mussels.

Finally, purée leftover soup, add a few spoonfuls of cream and pour over fish fillets. Sprinkle with crumbs and Parmesan and bake until golden.

Per serving:
1622 KJ, 31 g protein, 18.4 g fat, 33 g carbs

TASTE’s take:
Nothing could be simpler – or more delicious.