Tunisian Fish Soup from Sfax

Name: Tunisian Fish Soup from Sfax (Sfaxia, or Soupe de Poissons)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional); 2 pinches saffron threads, crushed; 6 slices country bread, cut into 1-inch cubes; ½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, tied together; ¼ cup tomato puree; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and diced; ½ red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and diced; 1 large onion, coarsely grated; 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying croutons; 1 tablespoon sweet paprika; 8 cloves garlic, minced; juice of ½ lemon; salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for frying croutons; 2 pounds fish heads and bones; 3 to 4 pounds firm white fish, such as cod or bass, cut into steaks or thick slices; 3 to 4 pounds firm white fish, such as cod or bass, cut into steaks or thick slices; 3 to 4 pounds firm white fish, such as cod or bass, cut into steaks or thick slices; salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Sfaxia, or Soupe de Poissons

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Saffron Shores

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 2002

About

Andrée Zana-Murats recipe from De mère et fille la cuisine juive tunisienne provided the inspiration for this recipe. Traditionally, large pieces of fish are cooked in the fish broth but served as a separate course. It may be accompanied with sautéed red pimientos, 1 per person, and croutons. A Libyan version uses less fish, cut in smaller pieces, and serves it in the soup but omits croutons.

Ingredients

Africa
Tunisia
Supper
Lunch
Pescatarian
Mediterranean
Soup

Ingredients

Method