FOOD NEWS
The French Soup That Transported Anthony Bourdain Back To His Childhood
BY AUTUMN SWIERS
When speaking with Food & Wine, Anthony Bourdain claimed that French soupe de poisson "... more than anything is the flavor of my childhood vacations in France."
Soupe de poisson is a Provençal seafood soup from the South of France. Each steaming bowlful is garnished with garlicky rouille-smeared toasts and a sprinkle of parmesan.
The intensely flavored soup is made from a combination of saffron, orange, fennel, Pernod (an aniseed liqueur), and small, whole, gutted fish with heads intact.
Alternatively, an assortment of fish bones and heads works too. The fish heads are key, as they are loaded with collagen, making for a richer, more viscous broth.
If fish heads just aren't your style, use a fish with a decent amount of natural gelatin in it, such as rockfish, to ensure the soup retains its signature richness.