Zuppa di Pesce, Feast of 7 Fishes-style
Ingredients:
4oz Alaska Smokehouse Smoked Salmon, skin removed, liquid reserved
4oz Halibut, skin removed, cut into 1" pieces
4oz Cod, skin removed, cut into 1" pieces
4oz Tilapia or Rockfish, skin removed, cut into 1" pieces
4oz Shrimp, deveined, tails removed
6.5oz Canned Clams, drained
6oz Canned Crab meat, drained
2 small onions, chopped
2 large yellow or green bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1-1/2 cups white wine, like pinot grigio
2 28oz-32oz cans whole plum tomatoes
4 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Procedure:
In a large heavy stock pot, heat oil over medium heat until hot, then add onions and peppers.
Cook for 5 minutes, or until onions are softened.
Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, then add bay leaves, oregano, and parsley and cook for an additional minute.
Stir in white wine and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes (and liquid from tomato cans) and the seafood liquid from the smoked salmon package, then break the tomatoes up with a spoon, and cook for 10-15 minutes, adding in beans and seafood during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Cover the pan tightly during the last 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let seafood rest in the soup for 5 minutes. Break seafood into large chunks prior to serving.
Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with crusty bread.
Tips:
For the seafood, if you're using frozen fish or shrimp, rinse off the ice glaze under cold water.
If you find that you can't find a specific fish from this recipe, please substitute with whatever seafood you can find at your local supermarket. Canned smoked oysters, mussels, or sardines are in most canned seafood sections and make great substitutions for halibut or tilapia, or cod.
If you're trying to honor the feast of 7 fishes, the important thing is to have at least 7 types of seafood, we just like the contrast between preserved fish and fresh fish in our soup.
