rainy day fish soup

Some days I have very specific cravings for very specific tastes. Like my mom, I dream up recipes. Nalo Hopkinson does this too, I think. I love her shrimp and avocado salad.

Rainy Day Fish Soup

1/2 onion
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
1 fennel bulb
handful of green beans
1/2 lb okra
1/2 small kabocha squash
1 tin corn
1 small tin tomatoes
1 lb salmon bones
2 large fillets red snapper
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 stalk lemon grass
2 limes
vietnamese hot sauce
fish sauce
veggie bouillon cube
salt
pepper

Chop onions, garlic, shallots. Cut squash, fennel, beans and okra into bite sized pieces. Chop up cilantro stems, save leaves. Cut lemon grass into 4 or 5 pieces. Brown onions, garlic and shallots in olive oil. Add squash and fennel. Stir. Add tomatoes, salmon bones, cilantro stems, a bit of hot sauce, some fish sauce, the veggie bouillon, a litre or 2 of water. Simmer for one hour. Add okra and beans, simmer till they are barely done. Add corn, snapper and juice of 2 limes. Simmer until the fish is just cooked (5 minutes or so.) Add salt and pepper to taste, and may be more fish sauce. Chop cilantro leaves. Serve soup in big bowls, garnished with cilantro leaves. Warn guests about fish bones and lemon grass stalks, which have to be picked out. Bread on the side is good, with or without butter.