Recipe essentials: fish soup & white wine marinade

Whether baked, grilled or in a soup, seafood is a delicious staple in the diet of many cultures worldwide. If you love seafood, you'll probably love these 2 simple recipes for a rich fish soup and white wine marinade.

Packed full of flavour, this soup is also known by the more elegant name of "bouillabaisse." This recipe serves 4 to 6 – perfect for feeding a hungry family or group of friends.

Ingredients

• 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1 small head fennel, chopped
• 1 can (400 g/14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) tomato paste
• 450 g (1 lb) mixed white fish, skinned and trimmed, cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces
• Juice of 1 orange
• 1 strip orange zest
• 500 ml (2 c) fish stock
• Bouquet garni of 2 sprigs each of parsley, thyme and rosemary and 2 bay leaves, tied with string
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

• 1 stick French bread, sliced
• Olive oil
• 50 ml (4 tbsp) heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook the onion until soft, but not browned.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another one to two minutes before adding the celery, fennel, tomatoes, tomato paste, orange juice and zest. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the fish, stock and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the bouquet garni and orange zest, leave to cool for a few minutes, discard the string and then purée until smooth. Return to the pot, bring the soup back nearly to a boil and adjust the seasoning.
5. Brush slices of French bread with olive oil and grill until golden brown, turning once. Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl 15 ml (1 tbsp) of cream into each bowl and top with the slices of French bread.

Try something new for your next fish dinner with this flavourful white wine marinade. This recipe makes about 250 ml (1 c), which you can use for marinating either fish or chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1/2 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
• 50 ml (1/4 c) olive oil
• 50 ml (1/4 c) dry white wine
• 125 ml (1/2 c) white wine vinegar
• Juice of 2 lemons or 4 limes
• Bouquet garni of parsley, rosemary and thyme
• 6 whole peppercorns

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients well and pour over the fish or chicken.
2. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking, but no longer than 24 hours.

Quick, easy and irresistible, these are 2 seafood recipes that you'll want to add to your list of favourites.