Seafood Stew

 The Soup

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, or cod, rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 cup chopped spring onion, or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
• 1/4 cup green onion greens, chopped
• 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, chopped (or sliced)
• 2 cups chopped (or sliced) tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp paprika (Hungarian sweet)
• 1/2 piece of ginger chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce.
• 1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped with some set aside for garnish
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk 

  For the Fish Puree

• 1 pound (1/2 kg) fish scraps (head, tail and backbone)
• 1.5 ounces (50 ml) of olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of cilantro, parsley and green onion
• 1/4 green pepper and 1/4 red pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 roughly-chopped tomatoes, de-seeded
• 1 onion
• 1 quart of water
• 1 pinch each of annatto powder, salt, black pepper and malagueta pepper (or hot chile powder) to taste
• Manioc flour to thicken
• A few drops of fresh lemon juice

1 Place fish pieces in a bowl, add the minced garlic and lime juice so that the pieces are well coated. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper. Keep chilled while preparing the rest of the soup.

2 In a large covered pan (such as a Dutch oven), coat the bottom with about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook a few minutes until softened. Add the bell pepper, paprika, and sriracha. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. (At least a teaspoon of salt.) Cook for a few minutes longer, until the bell pepper begins to soften. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and onion greens. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Stir in the chopped cilantro.

3 Use a large spoon to remove about half of the vegetables. Spread the remaining vegetables over the bottom of the pan to create a bed for the fish. Arrange the fish pieces on the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then add back the previously removed vegetables, covering the fish. Pour coconut milk and  fish puree over the fish and vegetables. 

4 Bring soup to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may need to add more salt (likely), lime or lemon juice, paprika, pepper, sriracha to get the soup to the desired seasoning for your taste.


To Make The Fish Purée

1. 
   
   
   
   Season the fish with salt, lemon and black pepper. Fry the garlic in olive oil, then the tomatoes, pepper and onion. 
2. 
   
   
   
   Add the fish and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the water and bunch of cilantro, parsley and green onion. Cook until the liquid is reduced to approximately 1 quart.
3. 
   
   
   
   Strain the mixture, then place back on the heat, and adjust the seasoning with salt and malagueta pepper. When the mixture boils, add sufficient manioc flour so that it attains the consistency of a purée.