How to cook: Psarosoupa

Red snapper is a great fish to choose for soup because it doesn't fall apart and has a wonderful taste to impart to the vegetables. This recipe uses a traditional Greek oil-and-lemon sauce (latholemono) for the vegetables and fish, and rice is added to the soup. It's a delicious and substantial meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 - 3 1/2 pounds of red snapper (or slightly more if uncleaned)
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 4 fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks (about 1 pound)
• 1 pound of carrots, cut in chunks
• 5-6 stalks of celery, with leaves, chopped
• 1 pound of small zucchini, cut part-way through, lengthwise
• 2 pounds of medium potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 6 pieces each
• 2/3 cup of olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• sea salt
• water
• 2/3 cup of rice
• ------------
• LATHOLEMONO (OIL-LEMON) SAUCE
• 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)

PREPARATION:

Note: This recipe requires 2 soup pots or one soup pot and a large bowl.

Scrape the fish to remove scales. Cut off and discard fins. Gut and remove and discard the head. Wash fish well to remove any debris.

If the fish are larger than one-person servings, score the fish on one side into serving size pieces using a sharp knife (don't cut into the bones). Salt the zucchini.

In a soup pot, bring oil and 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, tomatoes, and celery, and boil covered for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and zucchini and continue to boil covered for 20 minutes. Add fish, cover, and continue to boil for 25 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Make the sauce in the blender: Combine the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and blend on high until thickened (about 5 seconds).

Carefully, remove fish and 3/4 of the vegetables from the pot using a slotted spatula, and place in a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables, cover and set aside.

Ladle soup stock and vegetables into the blender (don't fill more than half way), and mix on high for 7 seconds until puréed. Pour into a second soup pot or a large bowl. Continue until all the soup stock and vegetables have been puréed. (If using a large bowl, rinse out the pot and pour in the soup.) Add 8 3/4 cups of water to the soup and bring to a boil. Add rice and cover. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the juice of one lemon.

Serve fish and vegetables on a platter, and soup in a tureen or individual soup bowls. Serve with pepper and lemon wedges on the side to be added to taste.

Yield: serves 6-8