Ingredients
- 50ml olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- salt
- 1/2 cup sherry or dry white wine
- 4 potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 1 litre fish stock (see Greek fisherman's soup recipe)
- 1 slice crusty white bread
- 12 blanched almonds, toasted
- 500g mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
- 1 blue swimmer crab, cleaned and quartered
- 1kg fish fillets such as red mullet, King George whiting, flathead or rockling, cut into small pieces
Method
First, make a sofregit: in a large, heavy-based pot, heat the olive oil and cook the onion and half the garlic very slowly until completely soft and golden brown. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.
Add the sherry and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated.
Add the potatoes and stock and simmer until the potatoes are just cooked.
Meanwhile, make the picada: fry the bread in olive oil on both sides until golden. When cool, break into a mortar and pestle, add the almonds and remaining garlic and pound to a smooth paste, moistened with a few drops of olive oil. The picada should be quite smooth so its texture is not detected in the soup.
Cook the mussels with a splash of water in a pot covered with a tight-fitting lid until they have steamed open. Pull them out as they do and set aside, reserving the liquid.
Add the crab and fish pieces to the simmering soup and cook for about 10 minutes or until just cooked and the fish is firm. Add the mussels and stir in the picada.
Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
This recipes is featured in the book, Autumn is available now in all good bookstores RRP $34.95. To order direct call 1300 656 059 or visit www.smh.com.au/store
