Spanish Fish Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 medium red bell peppers
• 4 ounces bacon, diced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 strip orange zest (about 2 inches long)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb boiling potato, peeled, diced
• 3 (8 ounce) bottles clam juice or 3 cups fish stock
• 2 cups dry wine
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs thick non-oily fish fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks (such as cod, haddock, or scrod)
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled but tails intact, deveined (or a combination of shrimp and scallops) or 1 lb scallops (or a combination of shrimp and scallops)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 heat broiler. place peppers on foil-lined baking sheet and broil 6 inches from heat, turning occasionally, until black and blistered on all sides, 15-20 minutes. peel peppers and remove stems and seeds; cut into 1-inch dice, reserving juices.
• 2 saute bacon in large casserole over medium heat until golden, about 8 minutes. drain bacon. pour off all but 2 t. fat from pan. add onions to fat and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. add garlic, two-thirds of the roasted peppers with juice, 1 t. parsley, the orange zest, thyme, and bay leaf. saute 2 minutes.
• 3 add potatoes, clam juice, and wine to casserole. boil gently uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• 4 process remaining red pepper, a few pieces cooked potato, the egg yolks, and lemon juice in blender or food processor until smooth. while machine is running, add oil in thin steady stream to make mayonnaise.
• 5 heat soup to boiling. remove and discard orange zest and bay leaf. add fish to soup. add a little water if necessary to cover ingredients. reduce heat and simmer covered until fish is not quite cooked through, about 5 minutes. add shrimp and reserved bacon and simmer just until shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes.
• 6 stir large spoonful of hot soup into mayonnaise and stir mixture back into soup. gently heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, but do not allow to boil. add all but 1 t. remaining parsley and the cayenne. season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. ladle soup into wide bowls and sprinkle remaining parsley over servings.