Fish Soup - Zuppa di Pesce

Fish Soup (Zuppa di Pesce) (Serves 6 to 8)

When cooked, this dish does not provide as much liquid - for the number of people it serves - as a conventional soup might seem to require; it is more a dish of fish served in a seasoned liquid. It is, nevertheless, eaten as a soup with a spoon.

2 lbs. fish heads, bones, and trimmings
3 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup sliced onions
2 celery tops with leaves
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lbs. of of 3 kinds of white fish fillets or steaks - such as haddock, flounder, cod, perch, pollack, snapper, mackerel, bass, or rockfish - cut into 2 inch serving pieces
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh tomato pulp (about 1 pound tomatoes)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron or crumbled saffron threads
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

In a 4 to 6 quart enameled or stainless steel saucepan, combine fish heads, bones, and trimmings with water and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add the onions, celery tops, parsley sprigs, bay leaf and thyme and return stock to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl or saucepan, pressing down hard with a spoon on the fish trimmings and vegetables to extract their
juices before discarding them.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4 to 5 quart flameproof serving casserole until a light haze forms over it. Brown the fish in the oil over moderately high heat for only 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Tip the casserole slightly and, with a bulb baster, remove all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil. Stir the saffron into the strained fish stock and add it, the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and a few grindings of pepper to the casserole. Bring the soup to a simmer, stirring
gently, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is firm to the touch and flakes easily when pierced with a fork

Be careful not to overcook.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and sprinkle the top with the 2 remaining tablespoons of chopped parsley and the grated lemon peel.