Fish soup with matzo balls and aioli

We love fish soup. One long-ago Passover, we suddenly wondered, “Why don’t we make matzo ball soup with fish stock instead of chicken stock?” This saffron-colored variation on a tradition has now become our standard.

You’ll probably want to double the ingredients for Passover (remember to use the Passover recipe for the aioli, with lemon juice instead of mustard), but you don’t need to wait for the holiday to enjoy this dish. It’s not hard to make, and provides lots of pleasure for you and your dining companions any time of the year. (You can also enjoy it without the matzo balls.)

The list of ingredients may seem long, but most of them are simply thrown in the pot, boiled, and then strained. You will also need to purchase a 3-to 4-pound ocean fish. (Remember that kosher fish must have fins and scales.) If you are using the fish head, don’t bother removing the gills, as some cookbooks traditionally advise. Contrary to popular belief, we haven’t found they add any bitterness.

Both the matzo balls and soup are best made a day in advance—or at least the morning before you serve them. First make the matzo balls. They need to be chilled for about 3 hours prior to cooking or the mix will not harden enough to form balls. Make the fish soup when the matzo balls are chilling in the refrigerator. For ease of presentation, we have kept the recipe for the soup and the matzo balls separate.

Aioli, or garlic mayonnaise, adds richness. It is added to the broth when serving. Diners can just mix it into the liquid themselves. No more than 5 or 10 minutes are required to whip up an aioli from scratch. Make it in advance and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

From a wine-drinking perspective, the French would most likely enjoy this soup with a glass of dry rosé. (We have enjoyed countless fish soups in southern France paired with crisp, chilled local rosés. It’s a tradition.) Other fine options would include any racy, dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, or Chardonnay.

Matzo Balls

Ingredients: (makes 10 to 15 matzo balls)

• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup matzo meal
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, water, matzo meal, garlic, cilantro, and salt. Add a few grinds of pepper. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, gently mix to incorporate all the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

When the matzo mix is firm to the touch, remove it from the refrigerator and shape it into 10 to 15 balls the size of ping-pong balls. Rinse your hands with cold water now and then to prevent sticking. Lay the matzo balls out on a flat surface covered with wax paper. 

Fill a large skillet halfway with lightly salted water; bring to a boil over high heat. Use a large spoon to gently lay the matzo balls in a single layer in the water. (They should not be stacked on top of each other.) Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the matzo balls have expanded and are firm to the touch, 45 to 50 minutes. Use immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• One 3-to 4-pound saltwater fish (with or without head), such as cod, flounder, salmon, or halibut, scaled and gutted
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 to 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large head garlic, halved
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 ½ pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can (28 ounces) whole Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ½ cups aioli, for serving
• Freshly ground pepper

Make the matzo balls and refrigerate while you make the soup: in a large saucepan or a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the fish (cut in pieces, if necessary, to fit into the pot) and cook, turning frequently, until the flesh begins to fall off the bones, about 10 minutes.

Add the thyme, bay leaf, parsley, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes, saffron, cayenne, potato, and salt. Add enough water to cover the contents. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, covered, until the potato is tender, about 45 minutes.

Let the soup cool for about 15 minutes. Working in batches if necessary, in a blender or food processor, coarsely pulse the fish soup. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve or colander into a large bowl or pot, forcing the liquid through by pressing on the solids with the back of a large spoon or –even better – the bottom of a pareve (coffee mug). Discard all the solids. Strain the soup one more time through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pot to remove as many remaining solids as possible.

To serve, add the cooked matzo balls to the soup that is now in a large pot and reheat over medium-high heat. When the soup starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and continue to heat until the matzo balls are hot throughout, about 10 minutes. Ladle the soup with one or two matzo balls per serving into individual soup bowls. You or your dinner guests can add a dollop or two of aioli to the broth in each bowl. Season with pepper to taste.