We've been home for weeks now, on shore, away from the boat. After a five-month cruise and a menu full of fresh seafood, wouldn't you think we would crave red meat? some juicy hamburgers, tender steaks, braised or barbecued ribs... Not so, to my surprise. A FoodNetwork Throwdown yesterday had our appetites primed for grilled fish tacos. Yum! but then the weather turned wet and blustery and fish soup seemed much more appealing.
I was really tempted to grab my coat and head for the nearby Columbia City Ale House where they do make a good fish taco, sometimes with cod, sometimes with mahi mahi. But it was easy enough to drive to Mutual Fish for fish fillets, and the freezer already held a package of Trader Joe's frozen seafood mix (calamari/shrimp/scallops). A well-seasoned fish broth combined with fresh vegetables from the CC Farmer's Market and some fennel from the yard to produce a very tasty soup. If only I could remember the exact quantities and ingredient mix! I loosely adapted two different recipes, tasting and adjusting along the way to get the final blend... whatever it was.
Let's see, for sure there were onions, leeks, garlic, celery, saffron, fennel, tomatoes, garlic, orange juice and orange zest, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, white wine and... whatever! Next time the challenge will be to create another version without worrying about an exact re-creation of this one, and to take notes as I cook. Maybe even shoot a photo or two along the way.