052Fisherman's soup

Method

Aegean island fishermen's version. Serve the broth first or alongside the poached fish and vegetables with crusty bread.

You will need

• large wide pot with tight-fitting lid
• slotted spoon
• fine-mesh sieve
• serving platter

1. Place the onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery in a large, wide pot and pour in the water, 1 teaspoon of salt, and half of the olive oil. 2 min Ready when: vegetables are submerged in liquid
2. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables are nearly tender. 15 min Ready when: potatoes can be pierced with a knife but are not breaking apart
3. Season the cleaned fish all over with salt and arrange them gently in a single layer on top of the vegetables. 2 min Ready when: fish rests securely above the vegetables
4. Pour over the remaining olive oil and lemon juice, cover the pot tightly, and boil rapidly over high heat for 12 to 15 minutes without stirring. 14 min Ready when: broth turns cloudy and emulsified, fish flesh flakes easily
5. Carefully lift the cooked fish and whole vegetables out with a slotted spoon onto a warm serving platter. 3 min Ready when: fish remains intact on the platter
6. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or pan to catch any stray bones, then season to taste with extra lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. 2 min Ready when: broth is smooth, velvety, and well-seasoned
7. Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls and serve alongside the platter of fish and vegetables drizzled with extra olive oil. 1 min Ready when: steaming soup and fish served concurrently

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Make ahead and storing

Best enjoyed freshly made. The strained broth will keep in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Substitutions

• cod or haddock fillets with a fish stock cube for mixed small rockfish and white fish (scorpionfish, sea bass, red mullet). Supermarket white fish can be used, though whole gelatinous fish with heads give the most authentic emulsified body.
• celeriac or wild celery (selino) for celery stalks with leaves. Greek wild celery (selino) is traditional and offers a punchier herbal note than stalk celery.

Common mistakes

• Stirring the pot while the fish cooks. Tender fish flesh will disintegrate into the broth and fill the soup with fine, dangerous bones.
• Simmering too gently instead of a hard rolling boil. A rapid boil is essential to mechanically force the olive oil, lemon juice, and fish gelatin to emulsify into a silky broth.

Regional variants

• In some Cycladic islands, a little grated ripe tomato or a splash of white wine is added to the aromatic base.

About the dish

Kakavia is commonly considered the oldest Greek fishermen's soup, taking its name from the kakavi, a three-legged cooking pot used by ancient Aegean seafarers. Traditionally prepared directly on fishing boats using the unsellable small rockfish, scorpionfish, and sea bream from the daily catch, it relies on a fierce boil to emulsify sea water, olive oil, and lemon into a silky, opaque broth. In domestic kitchens, vegetables provide a gentle sweet base for the delicate poached fish.

Found in North Aegean, Cyclades, Ionian Islands, Crete. Cooked for everyday, summer, sunday lunch.

Cousins elsewhere

• Bouillabaisse (French). A Mediterranean rockfish stew, though seasoned with saffron and pastis rather than the clean lemon and olive oil emulsion of kakavia.
• Zuppa di pesce (Italian). A mixed seafood soup made from the small bycatch of coastal fishermen, often featuring tomatoes.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

652 kcal · protein 59.7 g · fat 32.7 g (saturated 5 g) · carbohydrate 29.1 g (sugars 6.1 g) · fibre 4.7 g · sodium 293 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. The traditional Greek island method of cooking whole rockfish over vegetables, resulting in a dual course of silky broth and poached fish..