From The Galley: Hearty Tog Soup - The Fisherman

From The Galley: Hearty Tog Soup

soup
Guaranteed to warm you on the coldest of days.

This meal is sure to bring those long days fishing to a complete circle.

It’s blackfish season and after a long, cold day of successful togging, you’ve collected a bounty of tasty fish from the sea but you’re chilled to the bone after being on the water all day. Here’s a hearty soup that will warm you up and put the entire fish to good use with no waste.

Fish Stock

You can either buy a good fish stock from your local supermarket if you’re short on time or make your own. I recommend making one with the racks of fish after you’re done filleting them. You can save additional stock for over the winter by freezing it.

Fish Stock Ingredients

1 blackfish rack (head optional)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 chopped onions
2 Stalks of chopped celery
1 chopped carrot
A pinch of thyme
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
¼ cup of white cooking wine

Heat olive oil in a pot on medium heat. Then add in the vegetables and let them break down for 10 minutes or so. While cooking I like to add the seasoning as well. Next I’ll drip my fish rack in the pot and pour in the cooking wine. After that top off the pot with enough water to just cover the ingredients and fish. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour. This should allow all the flavors to be extracted and give the stock maximum taste. When finished, strain the stock into another pot. You can either use it right away or freeze for down the road.

Fridge Digging

This next part can be changed around based on your liking but here is my rendition. Typically it’s what I can find in my fridge. I like a hearty soup so I tend to boost up the ingredients. You can also add some small shrimp or scallops if you want to boost the soup even more

SPICE IT UP

spicy

Add a little hot sauce to your soup if you enjoy a little extra kick in your food.

2 blackfish fillets (16- to 18-inch fish)
1 chopped onion
2 diced red potatoes
1 chopped carrot
1 chopped tomato (medium sized)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
½ cup green beans
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

Add olive oil to a pot and heat on medium. Then add the onions. Let them cook for 5 minutes or so. Next add the rest of the vegetables and let them cook for another 10 minutes, seasoning along the way. Now add in your fish stock and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, drop in two cubed tog fillets. Let everything simmer for another 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked fully.

I like to top off my soup with some freshly shredded asiago cheese and a buttered piece of toast. This meal is sure to bring those long days fishing to a complete circle.

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