Super Winter Fish Stews and Soups
As travel and outdoor writers, my husband Louis and I travel often. In 1998 we were in Italy, Paris, Madrid and London twice and made solo trips to Bangkok, Beijing, Frankfort, Venice, Toledo, Seattle, Santa Fe, Islamorada, Miami, Chamonix, Lyon and many others. Louis writes travel and food pieces for several very upscale magazines. Therefore, we happily stay at four and five star hotels and eat at the best restaurants on an expense account. This does spoil one, and induce diets at home!
In the twenty years we've done this we have noticed some welcome changes at the upper end of the hotel range, that seem to be percolating down to more affordable lodgings. Food is definitely better and there seems to be more alternatives for travelers who fly in jet-lagged and in need of breakfast in the evening.
According to our hotel contacts, "Hotel guests traditionally ate one meal and then went out on the town. We want to cover the bases from cafes through five star options to raise that to two or three meals. It's our impression that this happens more and more often at least at the upscale end. For example, spots like the Principe in Milan, Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada or the Hotel Europa in Venice all offer quality.
However, we see no reason to eat steak, chops or grilled fish out. We do that at home with elk, lamb from our friends with flocks and fish fresh from the stream or ocean. Instead we favor stews and soups and, given our coastal background, fish along with pasta and more vegetables than in years back. Given this, here's a collection of a half-dozen top fish stews and soups from all over the world. Some may seem adventurous, but what hero ate the first oyster, right?
Stewed fillet of Fish on a Potato and Onion Bed
This comes from the excellent Hotel Cala de Volpe on the most scenic Costa Smeralda where you can dine with a wonderful water view after a day spent on the beach, sailing or simply wandering about. We like this dish best in the winter as it can be prepared ahead and popped into the oven an hour before dinner.
2 trout -- about a pound each
4 potatoes, sliced a quarter inch thick
2 white onions julienned
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled if you're fancy, and diced in any case.
1 leek cut in ½ inch slices
¼ cup parsley
8 basil leaves
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