Lunch: Provençal Fish Soup

At Terrôir restaurant at the Craggy Range winery, chef Sara Simpson flavors her lush seafood soup with port, red wine and the usual dash of licorice-scented Pernod.

Ingredients

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion
2 celery ribs
1 small carrot
6 clove garlic
4 3-inch strips of orange zest
4 thyme sprigs
2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. coriander seeds
pinch of saffron threads
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 can whole tomatoes
2 bottle clam juice
3/4 c. dry red wine
1/2 c. ruby port
1 3/4 lb. skinless grouper or red snapper fillets
1/2 lb. medium shrimp in the shell
1 tbsp. Pernod
Salt and coarsely ground pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook over moderately high heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, orange zest, thyme sprigs, fennel and coriander seeds and saffron and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook over high heat until glossy, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, clam juice, wine and port and bring to a boil. Add the grouper and shrimp, cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes. Discard the zest and thyme sprigs.
Working in batches, transfer the soup to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Rinse out the pot. Set a food mill fitted with a coarse blade over the pot and run the soup through the food mill. Bring the soup to a simmer. Stir in the Pernod and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

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