Romesco

This soup looks fussy but was a surprisingly quick soup to make. I made the fish broth a day in advance.

Source: James Peterson's Splendid Soups

Serves 8

Fish broth - base of the soup

4 pounds of fish bones

2 medium sized onions, sliced

4 shallots sliced

a small bunch of fresh thyme

1 small bunch of parsley

3 cups of dry sherry or white wine

Soup thickener - picada

6 - 1/2" slices of french baguette

1 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup blanched almonds

1 ancho chilli - soaked in boiling water for 20 mins, seeded and coarsely chopped

8 cloves of garlic

salt to taste

To finish the soup

8 fillets of white fish

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup picada

salt

pepper

For the fish broth:

1. Soak fish bones in water for 30 mins. Change the water a couple of times to make sure that the fish bones are clean. Thorougly rinse the bones.
2. In a 4-quart pot, combine the bones with all the broth ingredients and add enough water to cover all the bones.
3. Bring the broth to a slow simmer and simmer for 30 mins. Strain the broth.

Picada:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil on both sides. In a seperate baking dish, spread out the almonds. Toast bread and almonds until the bread and almonds are well toasted.
2. Combine olive oil, ancho chilli, garlic and almonds in a food processor. Process until you get a smooth paste. Add toasted bread and ladle in a few spoon fulls of fish broth. Process until you get a smooth paste. Add salt to taste.

To finish the soup:

1. Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot. Add the picada and stir to cook for 2 mins.
2. Pour in 10 cups of fish broth, adjust for salt and bring to a slow simmer.
3. Poach the fish fillets, a few at a time.
4. Serve each fillet in a soup bowl, ladle in the fish soup and garnish with fresh thyme.