Ecuadorian fish soup with salsa

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 250 g onion(s), peeled and quartered
• 2 chili peppers, red, pitted
• 250 g bell pepper(s), mixed, pitted and diced
• 100 g celery, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp black mustard seeds, roasted and crushed
• 1 tbsp coriander, roasted and crushed
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, roasted and crushed
• 1 tsp cumin, roasted and crushed
• 350 g tomatoes, peeled and pitted
• Salt and pepper, black from the mill
• 3 tbsp oil
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 800 ml chicken stock
• 400 g fish fillet(s), white-fleshed, in large pieces (monkfish, cod or halibut)
• 8 shrimp(s) without head and shell
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 beef tomato(s), stem removed and roughly diced
• 1 large carrot(s), peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cl olive oil
• 2 lemons, juice
• 1 vegetable onion(s), peeled and cut into fine rings
• some stalks of parsley, the leaves plucked and finely chopped
• 200 g rice, cooked
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• ½ bunch coriander leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Ask your fishmonger for approximately 350g of shrimp shells and fish heads. For the soup, first puree the garlic, onion, and 1 chili pepper in a blender and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot. First, fry the shrimp shells and fish heads for about 10 minutes, then remove them and sauté the mustard seeds, coriander, fennel, and cumin in the oil. Then add the bell pepper, celery, and the onion-chili mixture and cook everything over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring. Finely chop the tomatoes and add them, and fry for another minute. Then pour in the coconut milk and stock and simmer the soup for about 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. For the salsa, puree the diced tomatoes, carrot, 1 chili pepper, lemon juice from 1 lemon, and olive oil in a blender, then season with salt and pepper. Thin with water until the mixture reaches a slightly porridge-like consistency. Marinate the onion rings in the lemon juice of the second lemon with a little salt, then stir in the parsley and add the mixture to the salsa. Cut the fish and shrimp into bite-sized pieces and add them to the pot with the soup. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls with hot rice, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with the salsa and lime wedges.