This soup tastes better if you use 2-3 different kinds of fish. Prawns or mussels are a great addition too. In France, this dish is usually served with oven baked croutons topped with spicy garlic paste and to me this is what makes it special.
70 mins
Serves 8125ml extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 small leeks, thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 bay leaves
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-2 red chillies, to taste
125ml vermouth
big pinch (20-30) saffron threads
2 x 400g cans tomatoes in juice, chopped, or 800g fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp honey
2 litres fish stock
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
salt and ground black pepper
1kg boneless fillets of firm fish
12-16 mussels and/or 8-16 large raw prawns (optional)
