Provencal Seafood Bisque
When one hears fish soup, one thinks of a fishy smelly dish. This is anything but that.
Provencal Fish Bisque
This is a wonderful, flavorful but subtle fish soup I used to eat in my favorite restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Piccolo Mondo. Sadly, that restaurant closed a number of years back but I longed to enjoy that flavor again, so I set out to replicate it. Enjoy.
Equipment
- 6-to-8-quart pot
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon - I use turkey bacon (see note)
- 1 medium yellow or white onion - chopped
- 1 lg stalk celery - chopped
- 1 lg carrot - chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes - chopped
- 1 lb. white fish fillets - roughly chopped
- 1 trp orange zest
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 1 lg pinch saffron - (See note)
- 1 qt shellfish stock (ideal) - OR fish stock (See note), OR 16 oz of clam juice
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- salt to taste
- dill fronds - to serve (optional)
Instructions
Cook the bacon:
- Cook the bacon on medium heat in a 6-to-8-quart pot until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon. Set aside on a paper towel to use for garnish later.
- Cook the onions, celery, carrot:
- Increase the heat to medium high and to the bacon fat add the onions, celery and carrot. If using turkey bacon add two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent. Do not brown. Sprinkle some salt over everything as it cooks.
- Add the fish, tomatoes and the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes:
- stirring often.
- Add the orange zest, cayenne and saffron, then add the shellfish stock:
- or whatever stock you are using. In a pinch you could even use chicken or vegetable stock, but the flavor of the soup will be different. Simmer this gently – do not let it get to a rolling boil – for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Purée the soup:
- Get another pot ready. Fill a blender a third of the way with the soup and blend it on high (starting on low then increasing to high) for 1 minute, or until it is well puréed. Work in batches to purée the rest of the soup. Pour the puréed soup into the clean pot.
- Add cream:
- Put the soup on medium-low heat and add the cream. Stir well and taste for salt, adding if needed. Do not let this boil! Or it might break.Serve garnished with bacon bits or dill fronds, and alongside some crusty bread. A dry rose or light red wine would go well with this; I’d suggest a Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir.
Notes
- Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the “saffron crocus”. The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in food. Saffron has long been the world’s costliest spice by weight. Although some doubts remain on its origin, it is believed that saffron originated in Iran. However, Greece and Mesopotamia have also been suggested as the possible region of origin of this plant. Saffron crocus slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania. It goes great with seafood and is the most expensive spice in the world going from $1500 to $5000 per pound.
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