Recipe: Royal Fish Soup

Name: Royal Fish Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: Fish and Seafood:6.5 lb (3 kg) of fish including:; 1 large red gurnard; 1 scorpionfish; 17.75 oz (500 g) monkfish; 17.75 oz (500 g) hake or conger; 1 John Dory; 2 weever fish; 2.2 lb (1 kg) mussels; 6 langoustines; For the Stock:2 hake heads (or sole bones) split, other bones and fish trimmings; 2 large onions, sliced; 4 cloves garlic, degerminated and crushed; 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; Quality dry white wine; 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley); Hot pepper; Salt; Olive oil; For the Liaison:4 egg yolks; 5 tablespoons crème fraîche

By AFTouch-Cuisine 5/5 (8 reviews)

Prep 30 min

Cook 60 min

Total 1h30

Servings 6 serv.

Royal fish soup is made with 3 kg of fresh fish: red gurnard, scorpionfish, monkfish, hake, John Dory, weever, mussels and langoustines. The stock is made over 1 hour with bones, onions, leeks and dry white wine. The liaison with egg yolks and crème fraîche is added at the end of cooking to keep all its delicacy.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

Fish and Seafood:

6.5 lb (3 kg) of fish including:
1 large red gurnard
1 scorpionfish
17.75 oz (500 g) monkfish
17.75 oz (500 g) hake or conger
1 John Dory
2 weever fish
2.2 lb (1 kg) mussels
6 langoustines

For the Stock:

2 hake heads (or sole bones) split, other bones and fish trimmings
2 large onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, degerminated and crushed
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Quality dry white wine
1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
Hot pepper
Salt
Olive oil

For the Liaison:

4 egg yolks
5 tablespoons crème fraîche

Step-by-step directions

1 Scale and gut the fish, then rinse thoroughly under running water and pat dry.

2 Slice the hake and gurnard. Remove the fillets from the other fish. Set aside.

3 In a large pot, pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced onions, finely chopped garlic and leeks. Let the vegetables stew, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring often.

4 Add the fish trimmings, broken bones and bouquet garni. Stir constantly until the bones turn white. Pour in the white wine and 1.1 qt (1 litre) of water. Add the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper. Bring the stock to a boil and let it simmer for 1 hour, covered, skimming off the foam that rises regularly.

5 In the meantime, wash, scrape and drain the mussels. Place them in a pot over high heat and stir them until they open. Drain them, reserving their liquid.

6 Strain the stock through a sieve. Press the remains through a food mill and pour into the stock along with the mussel liquid. Bring the stock back to a gentle simmer.

7 Mix the egg yolks and crème fraîche in a bowl. Pour a ladle of stock over it, stirring constantly. Add this mixture to the stock, stirring constantly with a whisk. Place the fish fillets and steaks, mussels and langoustines in a thick-bottomed pot. Pour the stock gently over everything and return the royal fish soup to heat on very low heat for 10 minutes.

A chef's advice

Egg yolk liaison is the make-or-break moment. At 85°C, yolks cook and thicken the broth. Above 90°C, they coagulate and turn grainy. Always pour hot broth onto cold yolks while stirring, never the other way around. You have 10 minutes on very low heat to bind the soup without breaking it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I swap scorpionfish for another type of fish?

Yes, scorpionfish adds flavor but if unavailable, extra monkfish or conger eel works just as well. Keep at least 2 or 3 different rockfish in the pot so the stock has backbone.

How do I keep the egg and cream liaison from splitting?

Always temper the egg yolks and cream by pouring in one ladle of hot broth while stirring constantly, then pour that mixture slowly into the pot while whisking. Keep the heat very low, never boiling.

What size pot do I need for the stock?

A large stainless steel or enameled pot of at least 10 liters. You need room for 3 kg of fish, bones and liquid. A thick bottom distributes heat evenly without scorching.