Psarosoupa: golden fish soup

• servings: SERVES 4-6

Ingredients

A pinch of saffron

2 carrots

1 onion

2 celery sticks

2 leeks

5 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

750g firm white fish fillets, such as monkfish

200g shellfish (prawns in their shells, mussels, etc)

500g new waxy potatoes

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 litre fish stock

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 lemons

½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley or coriander, or a combinatio

1 green chilli

Directions

Place the saffron in a small bowl and pour over 50ml of just boiled water and set aside. Peel and finely chop the carrots and onion. Trim and finely slice the celery and leeks making sure to give the leeks a good rinse to get rid of any dirt. Place a large flameproof casserole or saucepan on a medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add all the chopped vegetables to the pan, season generously with sea salt and sauté for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened and sticky.

a lage lameproor casserole or saucepan on a medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add all the chopped vegetables to the pan, season generously with sea salt and sauté for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened and sticky.

Meanwhile, cut the fish into 3cm chunks. Clean the shellfish: I like to butterfly the prawns in their shells. Cut the potatoes into 2.5cm chunks. When the vegetables are ready, stir in the ground coriander and ground cumin. Fry for a couple of minutes then add the fish stock, bay leaves, peppercorns and cut potatoes to the pan. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Bring to the boil, cook for 15 minutes, then add the fish. Cook for a further 7 minutes and then check a piece of fish; it may need another minute or three. While it's cooking, finely chop the herbs. Halve, deseed and finely slice the chilli.

Stir the herbs through the soup, taste and season with the juice from the remaining lemon and serve with the sliced green chilli on top.

Notes

Source: Greekish by Georgian Hayden

In English, 'fish soup' doesn't sound particularly sexy. Greek 'psarosoupa' is mysterious and alluring, and somehow promises so much more. This version is gently spiced, with lots of flavour and sweetness coming from the attention you give the base. The fish is easily adjustable to whatever is fresh and available to you. If you switch it up, you might need to adjust the cooking time, although once it's chopped up, no seafood should take a particularly long time, so always add it towards the end of cooking.