Skip to main content
Epicurious

Italian Fish Soup

4.6

(15)

Image may contain Food Dish Meal Stew Bowl Animal Clam Sea Life Seashell Invertebrate Hot Pot and Soup Bowl
Italian Fish SoupRita Maas

Zuppa di Pesce

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    2 3/4 hours

  • Yield

    Makes 6 to 8 main-course servings

Ingredients

For soup

1 lb cleaned squid, bodies and tentacles separated but kept intact
1/2 lb large shrimp in shell (21 to 25 per lb), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and deveined
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 cup dry white wine
4 1/2 cups water
12 small hard-shelled clams such as littlenecks (less than 2 inches in diameter), scrubbed
12 mussels (preferably cultivated), scrubbed and beards removed
4 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice (32 fl oz)
2 (14-oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 lb skinless halibut fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For garlic toasts

1 (12-inch) Italian loaf, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Accompaniment: extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preparation

  1. Make soup:

    Step 1

    Rinse squid under cold running water and pat dry. If squid are large, halve ring of tentacles, then cut longer tentacles crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Pull off flaps from squid bodies and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings.

    Step 2

    Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear shrimp in 2 batches, turning over once, until golden but not cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

    Step 3

    Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano to pot and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add wine and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in clams and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 6 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened clams after 8 minutes.) Stir in mussels and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 3 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened mussels after 6 minutes.)

    Step 4

    Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

    Step 5

    Add stock to pot along with remaining 4 cups water, tomatoes with juice, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

  2. Make toasts while stock simmers:

    Step 6

    Arrange bread slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet, then drizzle with oil and season with salt. Bake, turning over once, until golden, about 10 minutes total. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool slightly, then rub lightly with cut sides of garlic and sprinkle with parsley.

  3. Finish soup:

    Step 7

    Add halibut to stock and cook at a bare simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in squid and reserved shellfish, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 minute. Stir in basil and parsley and serve immediately, with toasts alongside for dipping.

TagsSoupSoup/StewStewItalianEuropeanSquidShellfishSeafoodShrimpClamMusselCanned TomatoTomatoVegetableHalibutFishGarlicRoot VegetableMainDinnerDairy FreeNut FreeEasySimmerGourmet