Seafood soup with depth + a whole roasted besugo (sea bream) for ceremony. Classic Spanish flavors: saffron, smoked paprika, garlic, citrus, olive oil.

Sopa de Marisco + Besugo al Horno

Servings: +6

Preparation: 40m

Cooking: 45m

Skill Level: Intermediate

Ingredients:

Sopa de Marisco (seafood soup)

500 g mixed shellfish (mussels, clams, shrimp)
300 g white fish trimmings for stock (heads/bones)
1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves; 1 carrot; 1 stalk celery
1 tomato, grated or 200 g canned tomatoes
1 tsp smoked paprika (pimentón), pinch saffron threads (soaked)
1 cup dry white wine, 1 liter fish stock or water
Olive oil, parsley, salt, pepper; lemon wedges

Besugo al Horno (roasted sea bream)

1 whole besugo/sea bream (about 1–1.2 kg), scaled & gutted
2–3 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers
2–3 sprigs thyme or rosemary
1 lemon, sliced
Olive oil, coarse sea salt, black pepper

Cooking Steps - Stock & Soup Base:

Make a quick seafood stock: sweat onion, carrot, celery; add fish trimmings, splash of wine, cover with water; simmer 20–30 min. Strain and set aside.

For soup: sauté garlic + tomato + paprika; add stock and saffron; simmer 10 minutes. Add shellfish and cook until opened; add shrimp last for 2–3 minutes. Finish with chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Don’t over-salt the soup: stock + shellfish add brine. Taste as you go.

Cooking Steps - Besugo al Horno:

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat fish dry, score sides deeply. Salt generously (both inside cavity and external cuts).

Stuff cavity with lemon slices, garlic slivers, and herbs. Drizzle outside with olive oil.

Roast on a preheated tray 20–35 minutes depending on size; skin should crisp and flesh should flake at the bone. Internal temp ~60–63°C (140–145°F) for done but moist fish.

Rest 5 minutes, serve with lemon and olive oil. Fillet at table for drama.

Rating