Seafood soup with rouille and croutons

The Plettenberg Hotel’s signature dish comprises of only the freshest ocean fare. The delectable combination of fish and fragrant spices make it a most impressive starter, or even the star of the show.

Seafood soup from Plettenberg Bay Hotel.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 Kg whole fish, such as hake, gurnard etc cut into pieces, (do not use an oily fish like mackerel, trout or salmon)
• 90 ml olive oil
• 80 g each of onion, celery, leek and fennel, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves sliced
• Zest of one whole orange
• Juice of one whole orange
• 200 g tinned tomatoes blended
• 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• A pinch of saffron
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 litres very strong fish stock (see recipe below)
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

For the fish stock recipe you will need:

Makes 2 litres

• 1 kg fish bones
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 fennel bulb chopped
• 100g sliced celery
• 100g sliced carrots
• 100g chopped leeks
• 250 g sliced button mushrooms
• 1 sprig thyme
• 3 litres water

For the croutons you will need:

• 1 small baguette
• Olive oil for frying
• 1 garlic clove

For the rouille you will need:

• 25 g sliced day-old crustless white bread
• A little water
• 2 Tbl spoon harissa
• 3 fat peeled garlic cloves
• 1 egg yolk
• ¼ tsp salt
• 250 ml olive oil

Method

To make the stock

1. Put all the ingredients into a large pan and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
2. Strain through a muslin-lined fine sieve, and use as required. If not using immediately, leave to cool, then chill and refrigerate or freeze.

To make the soup

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the vegetables and garlic and cook gently for 20 minutes until soft but not coloured.
2. Add the orange zest, tomatoes, red pepper, bay leaf, thyme, saffron, cayenne pepper, and the fish pieces.
3. Cook briskly for 2 – 3 minutes, then add the strained stock and orange juice, bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes.
4. Liquidise the soup, then pass through a sieve into a clean pot, pressing as much liquid as possible with the back of a ladle.
5. Return the soup to the heat and season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

For the croutons

1. Thinly slice the baguette diagonally and fry the slices in the olive oil until crisp and golden.
2. Drain on kitchen paper and rub one side of each piece with the garlic clove.

To make the rouille

1. Cover the slice of bread with the water and leave to soften.
2. Squeeze out the excess liquid and put the bread into a food processor with the harissa, garlic, egg yolk and salt. Blend until smooth.
3. With the machine still running, gradually add the oil until you have a smooth, thick, mayonnaise-like mixture.

Keeps in the fridge for at least a week.