Day 15 of 30 Soups in 30 Days... Yay! Half way there!
Last night I ran across an old blog I used to write, and I was reminded of this terrific soup recipe. Here it is, reprinted, with a little of the original blog post from 2011.
So this is probably a good time to review Naming Techniques. Dishes with the word “crazy” in the title automatically make them more appealing to our kids. I can’t overuse this tactic or it’ll get old, and in this case I didn’t even have to be creative about it — that really is the real name of the dish. But think about it…can you think of any gross food whose name includes the word “crazy?” I can’t.
The second thing this light soup has going for it is the fact that it is served on a huge slice of sourdough bread. Sourdough bread has become somewhat of a staple in this house, particularly for kid #2. I could probably serve cat food but as long as it comes on sourdough bread he’d at least try it.
This recipe is not my own -- it's from The Best Italian Classics, published by Cooks Illustrated. The link to purchase this awesome book is below. The photo is also not my own, though when I first came across it in 2011 I could not find a proper attribution. I still can't locate it, so I'm not using it on the printer friendly version, either.
When camping, it's best to only prep the vegetables and onion at home -- if you prep anything at all. We've had this over a camp stove, with no preparation ahead of time, and it's a quick, simple, and amazing dish to have both in the woods and at home.
Last night I ran across an old blog I used to write, and I was reminded of this terrific soup recipe. Here it is, reprinted, with a little of the original blog post from 2011.
So this is probably a good time to review Naming Techniques. Dishes with the word “crazy” in the title automatically make them more appealing to our kids. I can’t overuse this tactic or it’ll get old, and in this case I didn’t even have to be creative about it — that really is the real name of the dish. But think about it…can you think of any gross food whose name includes the word “crazy?” I can’t.
The second thing this light soup has going for it is the fact that it is served on a huge slice of sourdough bread. Sourdough bread has become somewhat of a staple in this house, particularly for kid #2. I could probably serve cat food but as long as it comes on sourdough bread he’d at least try it.
This recipe is not my own -- it's from The Best Italian Classics, published by Cooks Illustrated. The link to purchase this awesome book is below. The photo is also not my own, though when I first came across it in 2011 I could not find a proper attribution. I still can't locate it, so I'm not using it on the printer friendly version, either.
When camping, it's best to only prep the vegetables and onion at home -- if you prep anything at all. We've had this over a camp stove, with no preparation ahead of time, and it's a quick, simple, and amazing dish to have both in the woods and at home.
If you choose cherry tomatoes, use the ripest ones you can find. If they are not perfectly ripe, you may need to balance their acidity with some sugar. Taste the broth right before adding the fish and add 1/2 teaspoon sugar if it tastes too harsh. Although we included only a modest amount of hot red pepper flakes, feel free to add more to suit personal preferences. (Some sources suggested that “crazy water” was actually a reference to the broth’s spiciness.) We like to serve this dish in wide, shallow bowls that will accommodate both the fish and the broth. We rest the fish on top of crostini, which soak up the flavorful broth and add a bit of heft to this otherwise light soup.
This is lightly adapted from The Best Italian Classics cookbook, published by Cook's Illustrated (use the link above to purchase this terrific book!) One of the rare cookbooks out there definitely worth the pricetag!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 stems parsley, plus 1 T minced fresh leaves
2 springs fresh oregano
2T extra-virgin olive oil
2 med cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/4t hot red pepper flakes
2 small red onions, halved through root end and sliced thin
salt
1 (14 1/2oz) can diced tomatoes drained, or 1 1/2 cups lightly packed cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups vegetable stock
2 large skin-on red snapper fillets (each about 1 lb)
Ground black pepper
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 recipe Crostini for Soup
Instructions:
This is lightly adapted from The Best Italian Classics cookbook, published by Cook's Illustrated (use the link above to purchase this terrific book!) One of the rare cookbooks out there definitely worth the pricetag!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 stems parsley, plus 1 T minced fresh leaves
2 springs fresh oregano
2T extra-virgin olive oil
2 med cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/4t hot red pepper flakes
2 small red onions, halved through root end and sliced thin
salt
1 (14 1/2oz) can diced tomatoes drained, or 1 1/2 cups lightly packed cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups vegetable stock
2 large skin-on red snapper fillets (each about 1 lb)
Ground black pepper
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 recipe Crostini for Soup
Instructions:
- Tie together the parsley stems and oregano sprigs with a short piece of kitchen twine. Heat the oil, garlic, and hot red pepper flakes in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. As the oil begins to sizzle, shake the pan back and forth so that the garlic does not stick (stirring with a wooden spoon will cause the garlic to clump). Once the garlic turns pale gold, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, add the onion and 1/2t salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, stock, herb bundle, and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.
- Gently slide the fish fillets, skin side down, into the liquid. With tongs, arrange the onion slices and tomatoes over the fish. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the fish is cooked through and just beginning to flake, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the minced parsley over the fish and season the broth with salt and black pepper to taste. With the edge of a spatula, cut each fillet into two portions.
- Place one crostini in the center of each individual serving bowl, set a piece of fish on each crostini, then ladle the broth over the top. Serve immediately, passing the lemon wedges and extra crostini at the table.
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