Seafood Soup With Chilies and Tomatoes

Seafood Soup With Chilies and

 Tomatoes

20 cups Water
1 1/2 medium Onions -- peeled quartered
60 milliliters Garlic -- peeled
12 Black peppercorns -- whole
2 teaspoons Salt -- or to taste
4 Fish heads
1 1/2 pounds Red snapper or sea bass Bones and trimmings.

FOR THE SOUP BASE

1/2 cup Olive oil
3 medium Onions -- thinly sliced
40 milliliters Garlic -- crushed
2 cans Whole plum tomatoes -- drained And chopped -- 28 oz size
3/4 teaspoon Dried oregano -- OR 3/4 tablespoon Fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
Salt to taste
2 fresh jalapeño or (2 to 4) Serrano chilies,or 1 haberno, stemmed and
Cut into strips

TO FINISH THE RECIPE

2 pounds To 2 1/2 lbs red snapper or Sea bass cut into chunks
32 medium Shrimp; peeled -- deveined
4 jalapeño chilies -- (4 to 6) Stemmed and cut in strips For garnish

To prepare fish stock, place water, onions, garlic, peppercorns and salt
in medium stockpot
and bring to a boil.
Add fish heads and simmer 40 minutes, then add fish and continue cooking
25 minutes more.
Remove from heat, strain stock and discard solids.
Set stock aside.

To prepare soup base, heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until mixture is thick, about 20 minutes.
Add oregano, pepper and salt to taste.
Gradually add chilies and reserved fish stock.
Recipe may be prepared to this point 1 day in advance.

Before serving, heat soup base to a simmer.
Add fish chunks and shrimp and cook on medium low heat for 8 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve immediately with jalapeño strips on the side to garnish.

Makes 8 servings