Fish soup (kakavia)

8 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
Karen Mintzias
1½ kilograms Fish trimmings
3 litres Water
Salt
Whole peppercorns
2 larges Onions; chopped
2 Garlic cloves; crushed
2 Leeks (optional) white part only
1½ kilograms Mixed whole fish
500 grams Green lobster tails
1 cup Chopped carrot
1 cup Chopped celery (with leaves)
½ cup Olive oil
2 cups Chopped, peeled tomatoes
2 Bay leaves
4 Sprigs parsley
1 Sprig thyme
750 grams Potatoes; peeled & sliced
Parsley; chopped
500 grams Large green prawns
2 tablespoons Lemon juice

Directions

FISH (SEE NOTE

Obtain from the fishmonger fish trimmings such as heads and backbones.

Rinse well and place in a large pot. Add water, salt and ½ teaspoon peppercorns and simmer for 2 hours. Strain stock and reserve.

Gently fry onion, garlic, chopped leeks, carrots and celery in oil for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, herbs tied into a bunch and reserved fish stock. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and boil for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat, add fish pieces and simmer 3 minutes, then add lobster pieces and prawns and simmer for 7-10 minutes until prawns turn pink and lobster meat is cooked. Do not boil when shellfish are added for they will toughen.

Pile fish, shellfish and potatoes in a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and keep hot.

Serve soup in a tureen as a first course with crusty bread, then follow with seafoods and potatoes served with lemon wedges and a cruet of olive oil. Alternatively soup, potatoes and seafoods may be served together in deep plates. NOTE: Fish and shellfish preparation: Fish suitable are snapper, mullet, eel, whiting, john dory and bream. Cut into 5 cm (2 inch) slices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add heads and trimmings to fish stock. Cut rinsed lobster tails into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces with shell on. Shell and de-vein prawns.

Source: The Greek Cookbook by Tess Mallos Typos by: Karen Mintzias

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