Zuppa di Pesce alla Siracusana
A traditional Syracuse fish soup made with tender mixed rockfish simmered in a rich tomato, garlic, and parsley broth, served over crisp toasted bread.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-based saucepan or terracotta pot
- •Fish scaler and filleting knife
- •Ladle
- •Baking sheet or grill pan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 36 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Wash the cleaned rockfish gently under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- 2
Cut the larger fish into thick steaks, leaving smaller fish whole with heads intact for flavour.
- 3
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
- 4
Add the sliced garlic and parsley stalks, cooking gently until fragrant without browning.
- 5
Pour in the white wine and simmer for two minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
- 6
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- 7
Cover and simmer the tomato sauce gently for fifteen minutes until thick and glossy.
- 8
Add the firmest fish pieces first, followed by the delicate whole fish after five minutes.
- 9
Pour in two hundred millilitres of warm water and simmer gently uncovered for ten minutes.
- 10
Toast the bread slices under a grill until golden and rub each piece lightly with the whole garlic clove.
- 11
Place two slices of toasted bread in each shallow serving bowl.
- 12
Ladle the hot fish and rich broth over the bread and scatter with chopped parsley leaves.
Chef's tips
Use whole, bone-in rockfish because the heads and bones create the essential gelatinous body of the broth. Avoid stirring the pot vigorously once the fish is added, as the tender flesh breaks apart easily; swirl the pan gently instead.
Ingredient substitutions
- mixed Mediterranean rockfish → a combination of red mullet, sea bass, and cod steaks with heads or bones
- slices of rustic durum wheat bread → thick slices of country sourdough bread
Storage
Refrigerate leftover fish soup in an airtight container without the bread for up to 1 day.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat until just steaming, taking care not to break the fish.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the soup vigorously, which tears the delicate fish flesh into shreds.
- •Using only boneless fish fillets, which produces a thin broth lacking authentic coastal depth.
- •Skipping the toasted bread base, which is necessary to capture and absorb the savoury cooking juices.
Serving suggestions
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