THE HUMBLE MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUP

Like many Americans, I didn`t grow up eating fish soup. I first encountered it in France -- in restaurants and at the cooking school where I studied.

Dining on fish soup in fancy surroundings sometimes makes us forget that most had humble beginnings. In fact, many started from fishermen using up their unsold catch and remain simple soups in their homelands. They were essentially frugal ways to make use of the fruits of the sea and the land, the results of people making do with what they had.

What Anna MacMiadhachain wrote of Spain is true for soups around the Mediterranean: ``Spanish soups generally tend to be a nourishing blend of whatever foods are plentiful ... nearly every coastal region and certainly the islands have their own version of a fish soup, and these are very often stew-like in character`` (from ``Spanish Regional Cooking,`` Penguin, 1976).

Cooks in Mediterranean lands developed soups to utilize fish that were too bony to prepare any other way. They cooked the fish in seasoned water with aromatic vegetables to create a savory broth, then lifted out the fish and removed the bones. Then they returned the fish to the pot with herbs and perhaps a little pasta or rice, and that`s all.

One that I enjoyed at a rustic eatery near Marseilles more than 20 years ago was the perfect illustration of these homey soups. Redolent of garlic, thyme and olive oil, delicately flavored with tomato, the soup highlighted the freshness of the fish chunks. There were no accompaniments, just cubes of crusty country bread to add to the bowl. The modest soup made a wholesome, warming entree.

Chefs` recipes for fish soups might seem exotic, mysterious, expensive or complicated, with several elements and many steps. At home, the original versions are much easier to prepare. They can be delicious, healthful additions to any repertoire of quick entrees.

Our markets simplify fish soup preparation. Instead of using bony fish, you can use fillets and simmer them in a fast and flavorful base. That saves the tedious task of separating the fish bones from the soup.

All along the Mediterranean coast, cooks share a fondness for five primary flavors in their seafood soups -- onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil and Italian parsley. Secondary seasonings include aromatic vegetables and herbs to flavor the broth. Subtle differences in flavorings and techniques from one locality to another create regional variations.

To the basic five, Italian cooks might add white wine, celery and carrots to create soups called brodetto or ciuppin. The Greek soup/stew known as kakavia features bay leaves and sometimes leeks and potatoes, with lemon juice giving sparkle at the finish. Spanish cooks add white wine, bay leaves and ham to the basic five and often thicken their soups with bread crumbs. The scents of saffron and thyme perfume the Provencal soupe de poisson, and often fennel and orange peel as well.

Go south of the Mediterranean and certain seasonings change. Cooks keep the Mediterranean quintet of flavors, but instead of adding wine, use spices to add punch to their pots. In Algeria, people like their fish soups seasoned with paprika and saffron. To these spices, Moroccans add cumin and red pepper. Tunisian fish soups gain their zest from chiles -- fresh, dried or from the fiery North African chile paste called harissa. Cooks in the region are generous with garlic and throw in cilantro as well but, unlike many Italians and Greeks, tend to avoid the sweet taste of carrots.

At dinner time, many cooks leave the fish in the soup or serve it separately as an additional course. Some reserve the fish to make salads for another meal. Still others cook the fillets at length so they fall apart and thicken the soup.

To make their soups more substantial, most families add toasted or dry peasant bread as croutons, or enjoy a little rice or pasta cooked in the soup. North African fish soups sometimes figure as the centerpiece of a couscous feast. In this case, the broth might include garbanzo beans, fava beans, zucchini or turnips, with the broth used to moisten the couscous grains, their tiny pasta.

Fish stock imparts a lovely delicate taste to these soups, especially when you`re making them from fillets, which cook more quickly than whole fish and provide less flavor. When you have 20 minutes and some fish bones, it`s a good idea to make some stock and keep it in your freezer. When you don`t have time, there are plenty of alternatives. At some markets you can buy frozen fish stock. Bottled clam juice is a popular substitute, but if your family doesn`t like the taste of clams, vegetable broth or even chicken broth works just as well. You can even add a dash of Vietnamese fish sauce to your soup if you like, for a slight accent from the sea.

EASY FISH SOUP, SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Sea bass in a tomato and garlic broth makes a light, elegant main course. For a Spanish or Provencal touch, use 1/4 teaspoon lightly crushed saffron threads instead of the cumin. Top each portion with a couple of heaping spoonfuls of cooked rice or small pasta such as orzo. Or serve the soup with cubes of crusty, day-old country bread or toast for each person to add to his or her bowl.

The line between fish soups and stews changes from one cook to another, depending on how much liquid is added. If you prefer a thick soup, start with 2 cups fish stock or clam juice mixture and add more later to thin the soup to your taste.

For an economical but still easy soup, you can make this soup with fish sold as pieces for chowder instead of using fillets. You can remove them before serving, and if you like, pick off the meat from the bones and return it to the soup.

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, halved, thinly sliced

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, drained, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 quart Quick Fish Stock (recipe follows) or 2 cups clam juice mixed with 2 cups water

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 to 3 teaspoons tomato paste

1 1/4 pounds sea bass or halibut fillet, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Cayenne pepper

Heat oil in large wide casserole. Add onions and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook 1 minute. Add fish stock, salt and pepper to taste and cumin. Bring to boil. Cook uncovered over low heat 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute.

Add fish cubes and simmer uncovered 5 minutes or until fish is just tender. Add parsley, thyme and cayenne pepper to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning. Makes 4 servings.

QUICK FISH STOCK

Classic fish stock contains sauteed onions, but this herb-scented version is easier to make and has no added fat. Use heads, tails and bones of any fish except strong-flavored ones such as tuna and mackerel. If you don`t have fish frames, you can make the stock from fish pieces for chowder. Fish stock can be kept up to 2 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen up to 3 months.

1 pound fish bones, heads and tails, or 3/4 pound fish pieces for chowder

1 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

6 cups water

Rinse fish bones or pieces and place in large saucepan. Add onion, bay leaf, thyme and water and bring to boil. Skim off foam. Simmer uncovered over low heat 20 minutes. Strain into bowl. Refrigerate stock or freeze if not using immediately. Makes 4 1/2 to 5 cups.

(Faye Levy is the author of the three-volume ``Fresh From France`` cookbook series, Dutton. Her latest book is ``1,000 Jewish Recipes,`` IDG, 2000.)

(c) 2001, Faye Levy. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate International, a division of Tribune Media Services.

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Author: Faye Levy