Seafood Saffron Soup

Menu Note:

• This recipe  largely follows one for Mediterranean Fish Soup by Emeril Lagasse that I found on the Food Network.
• The broth is very little changed from Jasper White's Traditional Fish Stock on epicurious.com.

The Ingredients (for 10 servings):

• 2 medium size onions
• 4 stalks of celery
• 2 medium size carrots
• 6 sprigs of parsley, preferably the Italian flat-leaf variety
• 900 g (or 2 lb) of bones, head, and tail pieces from one or more filleted fish
• 240 ml (or 1 cup) of dry white wine
• 6 sprigs of thyme, or the equivalent dry thyme
• 3 to 6 bay leaves
• 8 g (or 2 tablespoons) of black peppercorns
  
  
• 1 orange
• 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 40 g (or 1½ oz)
• 340 g ( or ¾ lb) of ripe but firm tomatoes
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of dry white wine
• 3 pinches of saffron threads
• 1 medium size onion, weighing approximately 260 g (or 9 oz)
• 125 g (or ¼ lb) of celery stalks 
• 2 fennel bulbs, weighing approximately 450 g (or 1 lb) with any leafy stalks removed
• 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of tomato paste, preferably Muir Glen brand
• 0.5 g (or ¼ teaspoon) of Cayenne pepper or ground, dried hot chili
  
• 24 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of ground black pepper 
• 600 g (or 1¼ lb) of firm white fish fillets
• 600 g (or 1¼ lb) of scallops
• 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley, preferably the Italian flat-leaf variety
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

The broth

1. Prepare the broth at least 3 hours, and up to 3 days before serving the soup.
2. First chop the onions, celery, carrots, and parsley into small slices or chunks and put them aside.
   
3. Place the bony fish parts into a large pot, cover with approximately 2 l (or 8 cups) of water, then add the wine. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat and turn it down to simmer when it reaches boiling point.
4. Begin to skim off the whitish froth that rises to the top, and continue doing this for several minutes until there is negligible new froth forming.
    
5. Immediately add all of the chopped vegetables, the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns and bring the broth to a gentle simmer, stirring to distribute the vegetables evenly.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow it to cool for a further 30 minutes.
7. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
8. Use it immediately to make the soup, or refrigerate for up to 72 hours.

The soup

1. Grate the orange to remove the zest.
2. Squeeze the orange and add it to the zest and set it aside.
   
3. Grind or mash the garlic cloves with a small pinch of salt until the mixture becomes shiny or foamy and set it aside. I find this easiest to do in a molcajete: bruise the cloves with the pestle first, making them easy to peel. Then add salt and grind until the garlic is at the right consistency, from medium chunks to a smooth paste.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Introduce the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water and remove them after 20 seconds with a slotted spoon. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them.
5. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally so as to expose the seed cavities. Press the seeds out with the back of a teaspoon.
   
6. Cut the tomato flesh into small cubes and set them aside.
7. Place the wine into a small bowl and add the saffron threads. Mix them together and set them aside.
   
8. Finely slice the onion, fennel, and celery.
9. Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. 
10. When the oil is hot, add the onion, fennel, celery, and garlic to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are translucent and limp. 
11. Measure the volume of fish stock and, if necessary, add water to bring it to approximately 2 l (or 8 cups).
12. Add the stock to the vegetables in the pot.
13. Add the orange mixture, tomatoes, saffron-wine mixture, tomato paste, Cayenne or chili, salt, and black pepper and bring to a slow simmer, stirring to distribute all ingredients evenly.
14. Cover the pot and simmer at the lowest possible heat for 45 minutes.
15. Meanwhile, cut the fish fillets into bite-size pieces, lightly season them with salt and pepper, and mix to distribute evenly. Return the fish to the refrigerator.
    
16. Finely chop the parsley and set it aside.
17. When the soup has simmered long enough, add the fish, scallops, and parsley to the soup pot, stir to submerse the seafood, and cook on the same low heat until the fish and scallops are cooked through.