Fumet For Le Bernardin Fish Soup Recipes

LE BERNARDIN FISH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large, wide stockpot set over medium heat, add olive oil. Add smashed garlic, onion, celery, carrot, fennel, bay leaf, star anise, fennel seeds, saffron threads, orange peel, parsley sprigs, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes.
• Add wine, and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until almost all the wine evaporates, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add fish fumet, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Add fish; simmer for 20 minutes more, pressing on the fish often with the back of a wooden spoon to break up the flesh. Continue to simmer until fish is in very small pieces, about 20 minutes more.
• Transfer the soup to a food mill fitted with a fine disk placed over a large bowl, and pass the soup through. Return the soup to the cleaned stockpot.
• Over high heat, bring the soup to a boil, whisking frequently to prevent the bottom from scalding. Season with cayenne pepper, salt, and white pepper to taste.
• Toast baguette slices, and rub each one with the garlic clove. Distribute the soup evenly among six bowls. Place a baguette slice in each bowl of soup; the bread should float directly in the soup. Sprinkle the baguette and soup generously with cheese, and serve.

FUMET FOR LE BERNARDIN FISH SOUP

Steps:

• If you are preparing the fish yourself, remove the gills and the eyes. Cut the heads and bones across into 4-inch pieces. In a shallow pan filled with cold water, add the heads and bones. Cover, and let stand for 1 hour, changing the water twice.
• In a large stockpot set over medium heat, add corn oil, onions, fennel, leeks, peppercorns, salt, parsley, and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to medium low, and cook until the vegetables are soft but not browned, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer heads and bones from water to the stockpot; discard water. Stir periodically until bones and flesh around bones turn from translucent to white, about 12 minutes.
• Add the wine and 6 cups of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Boil fumet 10 minutes, skimming off the foam as it rises to the top. Remove from heat; let rest for 10 minutes.
• Strain the fumet through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much of the flavorful liquid as possible. If you have more than 6 cups of fumet, place the liquid in a clean saucepan over high heat, and boil until it reduces to 6 cups. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or in the freezer up to 2 months.

FISH FUMET

Steps:

• Sweat the bones and vegetables Heat the oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add fish parts, celery, and leek. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until vegetables are soft and translucent and flesh on the bones has turned opaque but not brown, about 3 minutes.
• Make stock Add wine and reduce by half, 3 to 5 minutes, then add enough water to cover by 1/2 inch (about 2 quarts) along with the bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to just under a boil over medium-high heat, skimming foam with a ladle as it rises to the surface, then reduce heat and gently simmer (bubbles should just gently break the surface) for 35 minutes, skimming frequently.
• Strain stock Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl or another pot (do not press on solids), discarding solids. Skim off fat. If not using immediately, let cool completely (in an ice-water bath, if desired) before transferring to airtight containers. Fish fumet can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months; thaw completely in the refrigerator before using.
• Ask your fishmonger to save the bones and heads from the fish in advance; firm-fleshed white fish, such as snapper, bass, and halibut, work best. Avoid oily fish (such as mackerel and tuna).

FISH STOCK (FUMET DE POISSON)

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan and add the carrots, leeks and onion. Cook briefly, stirring, until wilted.
• Tie the parsley, bay leaf and thyme into a small bundle (bouquet garni). Add it to the saucepan. Add the garlic and fish bones and stir. Add the champagne and bring to a boil. Let simmer about a minute and add the water.
• Bring to a boil and let simmer 20 minutes.
• Strain through a very fine sieve, preferably of the sort known in French kitchens as a chinois. Press the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.

FISH FUMET

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients in a stockpot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain.