Fragrant fish soup with pappardelle

The addition of pappardelle ribbons makes this seafood soup a satisfying meal.

Fragrant fish soup with pappardelle. Credit: Louise Franc

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  1:40 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 200 g pappardelle pasta
• 1 tbsp butter
• 200 g skinless firm white fish fillet, such as snapper, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 12 mussels, cleaned
• 12 scallops
• 15 g (½ cup) finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• Crusty bread, to serve

Stock

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, bruised with the back of a knife
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 strip of orange zest
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1.5 kg heads and bones of white fish such as cod, flathead, perch, bream, whiting or snapper (see tip), gills removed, cleaned and rinsed
• 60 ml (¼ cup) apple cider vinegar, or 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine 

For best results, avoid using oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and ocean trout in this dish.

Instructions

First, prepare the stock. Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, leek, carrot, garlic, fennel, bay leaves, thyme, salt and orange zest. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, as well as the fish heads and bones. Cook, stirringoccasionally, for a further 15 minutes. Pour in the vinegar or wine and 750 ml (3 cups) water. Heat until simmering, then reduce the heat and cook at a gentle simmer for a further 40 minutes.

Pour the stock through a fine sieve into a large clean saucepan, pressing out as much liquid as you can. Return the stock to a medium–low heat, adjust the seasoning and leave to simmer.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, return to the pan, stir the butter through and cover to keep warm.

Add the fish to the hot stock and cook for 2 minutes. Add the mussels and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the scallops, remove the soup from the heat and stir in half the parsley.

Divide the pasta among four soup bowls, then ladle the soup over. Scatter with the remaining parsley and serve with crusty bread.

This recipe is from Low & Slow (Smith Street Books).

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.