Brodetto is the term used throughout Italy for fish soup; burrida is Liguria's special contribution to Italy's wealth of seafood soups. Both use a variety of fish and shellfish and a battuto of onion and garlic; after that the themes are open to endless variation. I have left then deliberately simple, wide open to interpretation and embellishment, maybe with a drizzling of Pesto (made partly with arugula, perhaps), or Agliata Verde, chunks of potatoes, and artichokes or chopped oil-cured olives.
Origin: Italian
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons COLAVITA Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine 4 cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 cup walnuts, ground 1/2 cup white wine 4 anchovy fillets 2 cups fish broth Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound small mussels, cleaned 1 whole fish (about 1 pound), such as rock bass, snapper or porgie, filleted, frame reserved 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined Agliata or Pesto (optional)
Preparation:
1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy 5 quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts and anchovy fillets. Stir until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and boil until reduced by half. 2.Add the fish broth. Heat to boiling; boil until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 3. Stir in the mussels. Cover and steam just until the mussels are opened, about 1 minute. Gently stir in the fish and shrimp. Reduce the heat and simmer until the shrimp and fish are cooked through, about 1 minute. Adjust the seasonings. Spoon a very small amount of Agliata Verde or Pesto, if using, into the bottom of warmed soup bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls and pass the remaining Agliata separately.Makes 8 servings Per Serving: 236 Calories (42.3% from fat); 10g Fat (1g Sat, 4g Mono, 4g Poly); 27g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 84mg Cholesterol; 578mg Sodium. Food Exchanges: 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat. NOTE: Use the fish frame and the shells from the shrimp to make a quick fish broth. Combine the frame and shells in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add a few sprigs of parsley, 1/2 onion and a slice of lemon. Heat to simmering and simmer 30 minutes to 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve and use 2 cups in the recipe. Prepare the soup through step 2 and the Green Agliata, if using, up to a day in advance. Clean the seafood early in the day. Reheat the broth over low heat and continue with step 3.
