Fast Recipes

Zuppa di pesce

Australian Gourmet Traveller Italian fast food recipe for zuppa di pesce

By Pietro Porcu
  • Serves 6
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Zuppa di pesce

Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 fresh birdseye chilli, finely chopped
  • 400 gm clams (vongole), soaked and drained
  • 1.2 kg black mussels, scrubbed and bearded
  • 4 egg tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
  • ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 4 squid hoods, scored and thickly sliced (500gm)
  • 3 blue swimmer crabs, cleaned and halved (325gm each)
  • 450 gm scampi, heads removed, cleaned and halved lengthways
  • 3 cups fish stock
  • 110 gm fregola (see note), roasted at 180C for 6 minutes (½ cup)
  • 600 gm snapper fillets, skinned, pin-boned and cut into 3cm pieces
  • 1/4 cup loosely-packed basil leaves

Method

Main
  • 1
    Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or casserole, add garlic and chilli and cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes or until soft.
  • 2
    Add clams, mussels, tomatoes and half the parsley and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over high heat for 3 minutes or until clams and mussels open, then transfer to a large bowl, cover and keep warm. Add squid to pan and cook for 1 minute or until opaque, and transfer to bowl with clams and mussels. Add crabs and scampi to pan and cook for 3 minutes or until shells change in colour.
  • 3
    Add stock and fregola to pan, bring to a simmer, then cook, covered, over low heat for 6 minutes or until fregola is just tender. Add snapper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Return other seafood to pan, add basil and remaining parsley and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes or until heated through.
  • 4
    Divide soup among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

Notes

Note Fregola is made from durum semolina pasta, which is rolled into irregular shapes, then roasted for a nutty flavour. Available from The Essential Ingredient and Enoteca Sileno.