Fish Soup With Fennel and Pernod

By The New York Times

Total Time: 30 minutes for Stage 1; 10 minutes for Stage 2
Rating: 4(33)
Notes: Read community notes

This recipe was designed for new parents, who must cook stealthily to keep from waking an infant. The silent chef must follow a few simple, yet unforgiving rules: any busy, attention-demanding work has to happen before baby's bedtime; recipes must easily tolerate a lengthy span between prep and finish, ideally resting at room temperature to lessen the mess and effort involved in refrigerating and reheating; and the final steps, after baby's bedtime, have to be both quiet and fairly routine.

Featured in: Racket in the Kitchen, Ruckus in the Crib

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

1small onion
1rib celery
4garlic cloves
½head fennel (save wispy tops for garnish)
3tablespoons best quality extra-virgin olive oil; more for drizzling
2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
1teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper
1cup dry white wine
1cup canned tomato purée, preferably San Marzano
4whole peeled canned tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, rinsed and chopped
20mussels, scrubbed
¾pound skinless flaky white fish fillets, such as halibut, cut into two pieces

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Stage 1, pre-bedtime. Put onion, celery, garlic and fennel in a food processor, and pulse gently until chopped into a coarse paste.
Step 2
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add coarsely processed vegetables to pan, and sauté, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons Pernod, and boil until almost evaporated. Add red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Pour in wine, and bring to a boil. Reduce for 2 minutes, and add tomato purée and chopped tomatoes. Bring to boil, stir, cover and remove from heat.
Step 4
Stage 2, post-bedtime. Return saucepan to medium heat until barely simmering. Gently slide mussels and fish into broth. Bring broth back to a simmer, and cook, stirring once or twice to give mussels room to open, until mussels and fish are cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
Step 5
Divide mussels and fish into warmed bowls. Pour soup over all, and scatter with fennel tops. Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon Pernod (skip Pernod if children are eating) and more olive oil. Serve immediately with crusty bread, if desired.

Ratings

4 out of 5

33 user ratings

Your rating

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

There aren’t any notes yet. Be the first to leave one.

Julie Logue-Riordan3 years ago

Other than reducing the the amount of crushed red pepper. I reduced it by half. It is a delicious soup and easy to make. Next time I’d add a bay leaf and some fresh thyme. I will definitely make it again.

dhwsmith6 years ago

If for kids I'd rethink the red pepper flakes--it was too spicy for my wife. Mine was not soupy,, but good. I added a tsp of fennel seeds.

Private notes are only visible to you.