Soupe de Poisson

SOUPE DE POISSON (Fish Soup with croutons)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (we used red)
1/2 cup chopped leeks
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1 hot red pepper, crumbled
1 bay leaf
2 tsp fresh thyme sprigs (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped fresh or canned tomatoes (we used Pomi)
1/3 pound potatoes
1 cup water
1 1/4 pounds white-fleshed, non-oily fish (cod, flounder, or a combination)
1/2 pint bay scallops (about 1/2 lb)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
16 toasted croutons (recipe follows)

To prepare:
1. Heat the oil in a kettle and add the onion, garlic, green pepper, leeks, and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted (soft).
2. Add the crumbled red pepper, bay leaf, thyme, wine, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut them into half-inch cubes. Drop them into cold water briefly. Then drain, and add the potatoes to the soup.
4. Cover closely and cook 10 minutes.
5. Add the water and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
6. Add the fish and scallops and simmer 2 or 3 minutes. Do not overcook or the fish will fall apart. Add the cream and bring to a boil. The soup must be served piping hot.
7. Gently stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve:
Serve the soup hot and add one or two croutons to each serving (serving the remainder on the side).

Croutons


Half a loaf of French bread
1 clove garlic, peeled and left whole
1/4 cup olive oil.

1. Rub the outside crust of the bread all over with garlic.
2. Cut the bread into sixteen thin slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and brush with oil.
3 Broil until golden on one side. Turn and brown lightly on the other side.

Yield: 16 croutons.

Serves 4.
The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet
Pierre Franey
amazon.com

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Poppy Seed Chicken

POPPY SEED CHICKEN

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. package of mushrooms, sliced
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 small container sour cream
1 stack of Ritz crackers
1/2 stick of butter, melted
poppy seeds
salt and pepper

To prepare:
Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces. While you're doing this bring about a quart of water (you can also add chicken broth for flavor) to a boil.

When the liquid boils, add the chicken pieces. Reduce heat and allow to simmer gently while you prepare other ingredients (about 10 to 12 minutes).

Add mushrooms, soup, and sour cream to mixing bowl and mix well. Crush the Ritz crackers into crumbs and set them aside.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Drain chicken, and stir into mixture, adding salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture into medium sized casserole dish, and cover with cracker crumbs. Drizzle melted butter on top, and sprinkle generously with poppy seeds.

Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes.

To serve:
This goes well with peas cooked with pearl onions and spiral pasta tossed with olive oil.
It can also be served over rice, or just be eaten on it's own. Leftover are perfectly good, but the topping is only crispy the first day, so enjoy it while it's there.

Serves 4 hungry people.
recipe courtesy of Craig Lovin

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