Kakavia
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
- 1 c Sliced onions or scallions -OR- leeks
- 1/2 c Olive oil
- 4 Tomatoes -- peeled seeded & chopped
- 1/2 Stalk fennel or celery -- sliced
- 3 Sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 c Dry white wine
- 5 c -Water more if necessary Salt Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 lb Fish (3 or 4 kinds) * -- cleaned and sliced
- 1 Lobster (optional) -- cut up & claws cracked
- 1 lb Shrimp; peeled & deveined
- 1 lb Scallops (optional) -OR- Mussels in shells -- (scrubbed)
- 8 sl Bread (thick); toasted
Instructions:
Croutons * Fish for poaching: bass cod hake haddock halibut trout pollack snapper rockfish whiting etc.) In a soup pot with a wide bottom saute the onions in the oil without browning until soft. Add the tomatoes fennel herbs wine and water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 45 minutes. Pour the stock into a large bowl through a sieve squeezing all the pulp from the vegetables before discarding the fibers remaining in the sieve. Return the soup stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile lightly salt the fish and let stand for 10 minutes then rinse with water and lower into soup adding water only if needed to cover the fish. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes then add the lobster. Cover and simmer 5 minutes longer then add the shrimp and scallops or mussels and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Arrange the toast slices in large soup plates. Serve the varied fishes and broth in each bowl hot with croutons in a separate plate. NOTE: Kakavia is frequently made in the following variation: Cook 2 to 3 fish with the vegetables and strain with the vegetables to make a thicker stock. Continue to cook the remaining seafood as described above. Source: The Food of Greece by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles Typing errors courtesy of: Karen Mintzias
