It’s something LIGHTER & CLEARER & ZESTIER and more of an autumnal or northern Mediterranean style fish stew or soup, without the tomato base and heavier spices typical of a summery and southern Mediterranean Fisherman’s or Bouillabaisse fish stew, which I also love, especially when its intensity and heat inevitably make me break into a sweat.

People automatically associate Mediterranean food with SPRING and SUMMER but the region has 4 seasons too and the dishes are prepared accordingly to those changing seasons.

The taste of this light stew or soup reminds me of my mom’s light & lemony sea bream fish soup, which was delicious, but that we didn’t appreciate enough as kids because of the occasional bones we’d discover and you know how kids can be : genuine jackasses. Kids will always prefer fish sticks to the real thing, until they become more reasonable adults !

Anyways, back to my soup. Like I said, it’s a light autumn version, prepared in 3 steps : the BROTH, the OVEN-BAKED VEGETABLES & FISH, the ASSEMBLY.

You cut up everything, vegetables in one plate and fish in another plate. You save all those extra fish & vegetables bits and pieces and cuttings that you’re always tempted to throw away, to prepare the broth. As the broth is simmering away, you oven-bake the vegetables first and then you add the sliced fish towards the end for a quick and short bake. Finally, when the broth has simmered and the vegetables and fish have slightly baked and almost roasted, it’s all assembled. In go the sliced and roasted vegetables first in the broth and later you add the fish pieces too, the flavors blend for a short while and then it’s ready to be served and enjoyed.

EASY (and no fish-bones here either) . . . :)