This is a light and flavorful seafood soup for springtime, when green garlic is available. It is less labor intensive to prepare than a traditional bouillabaisse but has some of the bells and whistles, which makes it a pleasure to serve. If you make the broth well ahead of time, the preparation will be further simplified. The saffron aioli, too, can be made days ahead; delicious and versatile, it is great to have on hand to spoon onto a burger, to accompany roasted potatoes, or to use as a dipping sauce for grilled squid.
Ingredients
For Brine and Fish
- 1 cup sea salt
- 10 cups water
- 1½ pounds fresh halibut (monkfish is also a good choice)
- 15 littleneck or Manila clams, cleaned and rinsed
- Cider-Pomegranate Sauce
- 3⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
For Broth
- 4 cups water or fresh fish stock
- 10 sprigs parsley
- 4 dried paprika pods or guajillo peppers, seeded
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 green garlic bulbs, including the green tops, chopped, or 5 cloves garlic, crushed and sliced
- 2 scallions, including the green tops, chopped
- 1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1⁄2 cup dry hard cider
- 1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes or 1⁄2 cup canned chopped tomatoes
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
For Saffron Aioli Toasts and Garnish
- Saffron Aioli
- 12 thin slices baguette, toasted
- Cider-Pomegranate Sauce
- Chopped fresh parsley
How to Make It
- Prepare the brine by dissolving the salt in the water. Add the fish and brine for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To start the broth, combine the water, parsley, and paprika pods in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, covered, until the broth is well flavored by the aromatics, about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and cider and simmer for 5 minutes. Blend the mixture with an immersion or stand blender, then strain it through a sieve and return it to the sauté pan.
- Remove the paprika pods from the broth, scrape out the inside flesh, and add the flesh to the broth. Discard the paprika pod skins and the parsley.
- Add the tomatoes to the scallion-cider mixture and simmer until the tomatoes break down, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley and paprika broth and add the salt.
- Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the broth; it should be between 130°F and 135°F (54–57°C). Place the fish and clams in the broth, cover, and cook until the clams open and the fish is opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. A low heat ensures that the fish will remain tender. Taste the broth and salt as needed. Prepare the Aioli Toasts
- While the fish cooks, place a spoonful of aioli on each piece of toast.
- Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer portions of the fish and a few clams into each individual bowl. Ladle some of the soup over the fish. Place two saffron aioli toasts in each bowl, followed by a few artful drops of Cider-Pomegranate Sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Serve piping hot.
