Fish Soup Syracuse Style (Sicily)

Soups

Ingredients

Assorted fish - 2 1/2 - 3 pounds

Salt

Onion, sliced - 1

Garlic, crushed - 2 cloves

Celery, diced - 2 stalks

Parsley, chopped - 2-3 sprigs

Bay leaves - 2

Olive oil - 1/2 cup 

Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped - 1 1/2 pounds

Dry white wine - 1 cup

Pepper

Slices of toasted bread

Clean the fish and cut the larger fish into 2 or 3 pieces. Wash in cold salted water.

Take a large, deep, ovenproof casserole. Arrange the onion, garlic, celery, parsley, bay leaves, olive oil and tomatoes in the bottom and put the fish on top. Moisten with the wine and add almost enough warm water to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and bake in a moderate oven (375F) for about 40 minutes, or until fish are tender. Take the casserole from the oven, remove the bay leaves and garlic, and serve the soup hot, garnished with slices of toasted bread. 

Serves 6