Fish soup (kakavia)

Yield: 8 Servings K

Ingredients:

1 1/2 kg Fish trimmings
3 l Water Salt Whole peppercorns
2 lg Onions; chopped
2 Garlic cloves; crushed
2 Leeks (optional) -- white part only
1 c Chopped carrot
1 c Chopped celery (with leaves)
1/2 c Olive oil
2 c Chopped peeled tomatoes
2 Bay leaves
4 Sprigs parsley
1 Sprig thyme
750 g Potatoes; peeled & sliced Parsley; chopped MMMMM-----------------------FISH (SEE NOTE----------------------------
1 1/2 kg Mixed whole fish
500 g Green lobster tails
500 g Large green prawns
2 tb Lemon juice

Instructions:

Obtain from the fishmonger fish trimmings such as heads and backbones. Rinse well and place in a large pot. Add water salt and 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns and simmer for 2 hours. Strain stock and reserve. Gently fry onion garlic chopped leeks carrots and celery in oil for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes herbs tied into a bunch and reserved fish stock. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat add fish pieces and simmer 3 minutes then add lobster pieces and prawns and simmer for 7-10 minutes until prawns turn pink and lobster meat is cooked. Do not boil when shellfish are added for they will toughen. Pile fish shellfish and potatoes in a serving dish sprinkle with chopped parsley and keep hot. Serve soup in a tureen as a first course with crusty bread then follow with seafoods and potatoes served with lemon wedges and a cruet of olive oil. Alternatively soup potatoes and seafoods may be served together in deep plates. NOTE: Fish and shellfish preparation: Fish suitable are snapper mullet eel whiting john dory and bream. Cut into 5 cm (2 inch) slices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add heads and trimmings to fish stock. Cut rinsed lobster tails into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces with shell on. Shell and de-vein prawns. Source: The Greek Cookbook by Tess Mallos Typos by: Karen Mintzias