Matt Tebbutt’s traditional fish soup recipe

Saturday Kitchen star Matt Tebbutt shares his take on a traditional fish soup – full of mussels, cod, scallops and whatever seafood you fancy.

Traditional fish soup

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

1kg of mixed sea fish – on the bone if possible, but just fillets is fine. Any crab claws or shells or prawns in shell would be a great addition
1 white onion
1 head of garlic, broken into cloves
1 star anise
1 carrot
½ fennel bulb
3 sticks of celery
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch of thyme
125ml Noilly Prat
2tbsp tomato purée
400g tin of plum tomatoes
1 pinch of saffron
1 bunch of tarragon

For the toppings:
1kg of cleaned mussels in shell
50ml white wine or Noilly Prat
1 bay leaf & smashed garlic clove
1 small sea bass or grey mullet or other British sea fish
200g cod fillet
1 red mullet or gurnard (optional)
2 scallops

Method:

1. Start by sweating the veg and aromatics (except the tarragon) in some oil for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft and starting to colour.

2. Add the fish and shells if using, bones and all to the pan and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so before adding the tomato purée, saffron strands, vermouth or wine, and tomatoes.

3. Cook to a paste then barely cover with water and allow to simmer very gently for 30 minutes.

4. After this time, blitz briefly with a hand blender to get the most out of the fish, before draining in a colander and push as much liquid from the bones as possible.

5. Tip these bones away and now add the tarragon to the stock and boil to reduce. Skim off any fat as you go. Reduce to around half the volume. Taste and season accordingly.

6. Take a dry saucepan with a lid and put onto a high heat. Add the mussels, Noilly Prat, bay and garlic clove, immediately cover with a lid and shake the pan from time to time.

7. After two to three minutes, check all the mussels have opened. Remove from the heat. Tip into a sieve or colander. Allow to cool before picking the meat from the shells. Discard any that don’t open.

8. Now strain this liquor through a fine mesh sieve or chinois and tip into the reduced stock.

9. Fillet the rest of the fish and pan fry these and the scallops on one side, (depending on the thickness). Keep warm.

10. To serve, put some of the cooked fish into the bottom of a serving bowl, and ladle some of the fish soup over the top .

11. For the perfect finishing touch, add homemade croutons and rouille.

Matt Tebbutt’s ProCook Kitchen Favourites can be found instore and online at procook.co.uk.