Part I – Sunday Chez Parret
Before I went to the U.S., I was renewing my love affair with Jamie Oliver’s magazine and was especially dazzled by one of his featured chefs, Gennaro Contaldo https://cookinginsens.wordpress.com/2013/07/11/doing-jamie-gennaro-contaldos-italian-rack-of-lamb/.
The Dog from Mad Dog TV Dinners http://maddogtvdinners.wordpress.com/, was caring enough to give me a link to a TV show that featured Contaldo and another chef, Antonio Carluccio. No big fan of cooking shows, I dutifully slogged through the first part of the show. If Mad took the time to send me the link, it was the least I could do! In about the middle of the show, Antonio Carluccio cooked a fish soup that was so real and appetizing that I knew I just had to make it and eat it with my favorite people! Thanks Dog!
Thierry, the bringer of all good things and, today, a new plate and bowl. M. Parret, who is M. Parret, the cat caretaker and the patron of 4 Americans. Antoine, who brought me flowers. We all came together to talk, drink and eat hard. Les experts, quoi 😉
Pacing ourselves, we began with a little charcuterie. Antoine brought the Rully wine and it was very, very good!
To protect their Sunday shirts from the stray dribble, M. Parret and Thierry tucked in napkins, while Antoine wisely went to the kitchen for a bib apron. So sorry I only noticed the apron at the end and missed a memorable shot 🙂
I couldn’t resist serving my portion of fish soup in Thierry’s soup plate gift. With the soup I served homemade garlic croutons to thicken and enhance the broth’s flavor. Worked 🙂
We had more wine, only different, fruitier. M. Parret has a wonderful courtyard with an outdoor summer kitchen and a good sized table with umbrella. In good weather you can not beat it for ambiance. That’s why we always eat here 🙂 Unfortunately, his tablecloth and umbrella put paid to white balance. So that’s why.
M. Parret served a lovely lettuce with vinaigrette but, encouraged by the absence of Etienne (the salad/cheese course police), I saved mine to have with cheese.
Of course the cheese was wonderful and it provided an opportunity for the obligatory finger picture, this time two fingers. I am convinced that it has to be some well hidden French superstition about photography, like “finger in, you won’t sin”? Something like that. No need to be ashamed French people! We have stuff like that too 😀
M. Parret was very proud of his dessert of vanilla flan. It was good too!
Part II – Fresh Fish
Of course, Carluccio’s soup would have been impossible without a visit to ye ole fishmonger, L’Ambiance des Halles.
I always want to buy everything but limited myself to sea bass, shrimp, scallops, monkfish and a small seabream for the stock.
I wanted rockfish for the stock but there just wasn’t one small enough. So I made do and it was fine. However, it does look as if I need to adjust the temperature in my garage refrigerator 🙂
Just 12 minutes of poaching and I had a nice rich stock and perfect, flakey fish.
Antonio Carluccio’s Fish Soup
Make the stock
1 large onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red chilli, sliced
1 tsp dried fennel
1 cup red wine
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 quart water
1 small fish, preferably rockfish
1 small bunch parsley leaves
Fry the onion, chilli and garlic in the olive oil until the onion begins to soften. Add the fennel and continue to fry for about a minute. Add the red wine and cook for another 1-2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and water. Put the fish inside with the parsley, cover and simmer for about 12-15 minutes until the fish is easily removed from the bone. Take the fish from the pot, remove the bones and skin, set aside and reserve the meat.
Make the soup
1 lb monkfish, cut into chunks
1 lb sea bass, cut into chunks
1 lb prawns
1 lb scallops
Salt and pepper
At about 2 minute intervals, add the fish to the simmering broth, 1) monkfish 2) sea bass 3) prawns 4) reserved fish meat 5) scallops.
Season with salt and pepper and cook until the scallops are just done.
Wine suggestion: Rully
Cooking in Sens 
Excellent and you’ve done an fantastic job with the recipe – that’s a beautiful soup 😉
Thank you Mad. I had fun both making and eating this soup 🙂
Reblogged this on The Cosy Kitchen.
Looks absolutely delicious!
Thank you Cosy.
I love this post, everything from the photos to the recipe makes me want to run to the kitchen and cook!
Thank you Brenda. You have to try this soup!
Gorgeous photos and gorgeous food!
–arica
Thank you Arica.
What a flavorful fish soup. I would have loved to have shared in your delicious meal…it sounds wonderful from beginning to end.
Thank you Karen. And we would have loved to share with you. A willing appetite is always welcome 🙂
I would have gladly joined the table! Gorgeous and your soup looks delicious! I’m a big fan of Antonia Carluccio!
Thank you Marie. Having lived most of the time overseas, I was not aware of the celebrity chef phenomenon and am sadly ignorant when it comes to who’s who in the cooking world. That’s why it’s great when fellow bloggers throw me a clue.
When I posted my mini rant about a Tuscan fish stew a little while back, THIS was what I was hoping to be served. Heavenly food Rosemary (cheese & dessert included).
Thank you Phil. Make it for yourself. This soup does NOT disappoint.
Is this from the Greedy Italians series? There were two series of it and it was hilarious and the food all looked amazing. I have the cookbook from the first series and have made a few things from it. All delicious! That fish soup looks incredible!
Yes, it is and thank you 🙂 I looked for the recipes for the show at BBC, but the recipe that they had for the soup was not the same. So I looked at the video, pausing it and wrote down the recipe.
Excellent recipe. I’ve always wondered what Les Halles fish market looked like. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Janet. It looks better than the pictures! I never thought to ask them to change the lightbulbs 😀
HA! You know, they’d get right on that. 😉
Doesn’t hurt to ask 😀
It looks truly wonderful, Rosemary. I love Gennaro and Carluccio. The latter has a chain of restaurants in Britain and I believe taught Jamie Oliver most of what he knows! My like button is back. Don’t abuse it.
Thank you Frugal. The like button is good for those times that you want to acknowledge a good post but don’t have the time for a comment or, like me sometimes, are at a loss for words 😀 Abuse is relative.
I understand – forever it shall remain! I’m not sure I’d ever count your ‘liking’ as abuse.
🙂
Hi, Rosemary. Great photos and great recipe. I love fish soups and stews. This whole meal looks divine. Wonderful setting, good friends, great wine and a great meal. It looks like a great time was had by all.
Thank you Richard. I’ve made a lot of fish soups and stews but this one goes to the top of my list!
That is a gorgeous soup. And the bread with it looks amazing.
Thank you Virginia. Those baguette croutons always go over big 🙂
I bet they do!
I love the picture of the fish. It looks really fresh! Would like to get some like that as well in Zurich….
Good luck with finding a good, fresh fishmonger in Zurich!
Great recipe! All the photos sure made me salivate LOL 🙂
Thank you Sibella.
Lovely stuff Rosemary. That 2 finger thing is a bit strange all the same.
Thank you Conor. I-just-don’t-get-it.
Yum! Just a question… the dried fennel – is it the fennel seeds or the fennel bulb you were referring to? Tks
Hi Vasun. Sorry, it’s the fennel seeds.
Thank you for the clarification;)
Beatiful – my kind of soup! And I like the programme with Antonio and Gennaro, they remind me of my dad and his pals all grumbling in Italian to each other but really they’re having a wonderful time 🙂
Great chefs!
Great soup Rosemary!
Thank you Tessa.
Some really good looking pictures. The bread in the bowl, the prep shots,,,,so many good pics. Gennaro is a good man, but the fat side kick is truly unpleasant. Good recipe, but I think it has more to do with tradition than the big C:)
Thank you Roger. I think you are right about tradition but I rarely make a fish soup with tomatoes and it was a nice change for me.
Wow, gorgeous soup! And you guys seemed to have had lots of fun good food 🙂 This post and beautiful photos are making me crave for fish soup now!!
Thank you aipheng. Make some today 🙂
Wonderful post! Beautiful photos. The poached fish looks particularly good.
Thank you Bassa. The poached fish is my favorite photo 🙂
Looks yummy
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This looks like cioppino or zarzuela, I love fish soups like this.
I’ve never heard of zarzuela, but if it’s fish soup, yep.
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This reminds me of Tum Yum Soup (Thai soup) so yummy.
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