Mediterranean fish soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g fish (whitefish, with carcass e.g. redfish, salmon etc.)
• 200 g shrimp(s), with shell
• 200 g mussels, without shell or 500 g with shell
• 1 liter fish broth or seafood broth
• 100 g carrot(s)
• 100 g celeriac
• 200 g fennel bulb(s)
• 300 g potatoes, floury
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 250 ml white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 0.1 g saffron
• 2 tsp aniseed
• 1 shot of pastis
• ½ bunch chives
• olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

To make the homemade stock, peel the prawns and clean the fish, reserving the shells and carcass. Simmer the prawn shells and fish carcass in 1 liter of water for 5 minutes. Then strain. Alternatively, prepare 1 liter of instant fish or seafood stock. Dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons of fish stock. Finely chop the vegetables. Remove the stalk from the fennel and reserve the green parts. Brown the vegetables in a little oil in a large pot for 2-3 minutes. Finely chop the onion and garlic and add them. Peel the potatoes, dice them, and fry them, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and reduce slightly. Add the fish stock, tomato paste, aniseed, bay leaf, and saffron to the pot, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes and vegetables are very soft. Remove the bay leaf and puree everything with a hand blender until smooth. Add a good dash of pastis. Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Cut the fish fillets into bite-sized pieces. Brush the mussels and their shells, remove the barbels, and boil in salted water until they open. Then scoop out the mussel meat. Add the fish, shrimp, and finally the mussels to the soup and heat until just hot. Remove immediately from the heat, cover, and let stand for a while. Serve among plates and garnish with finely chopped fennel and chives. Serve with rouille sauce, served with thin baguette croutons and Parmesan cheese, or simply with baguette.