Seafood Soup with Jalapeño Potatoe

My daughter spent a summer week along the west coast in Sweden. There she ate a soup that she just loved. She sent a photo and a general description of the soup's contents. Based on that, I have tried to recreate it and according to my daughter, my version is better. It may seem complicated to make it with many steps, but it's actually not that complicated. If you have ready-made seafood stock in the freezer, it is easy to whip it up quickly. The jalapeño potatoes provide an exciting burst of flavor Try it!

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You will need

Seafood stock

2.2 lbs of heads and shells from shrimp, crayfish, and/or lobster

1 carrot, coarsely sliced

1 large yellow onion, cut into large pieces

½ leek (it’s okay to use the dark green part), washed and cut into pieces

½ large or one small fennel (or 1 tbsp fennel seeds), cut into pieces

5.3 oz celeriac, peeled and cut into pieces

2 ½ tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup canola oil

Water

3/4 cup dry white wine

10 white peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Jalapeño potatoes

1.3 lbs small firm potatoes

6 large cloves of garlic, finely grated

2–3 jalapeños, finely chopped

0.42 cup olive oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp sea salt

Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

Butter-fried fennel

½ large or one small fennel

2 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

1 tsp honey

Soup base

1 cup seafood stock

1 tbsp cognac

1.27 cups crème fraiche

0.42 cup heavy cream

About ½ tsp finely chopped red chili (amount depending on the strength of the chili).

½ tsp Pul biber

1 tsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Seafood

7 oz cooked peeled shrimp

Garnish

1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips or shapes and fried in butter (can be omitted)

Sprigs of dill

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How to make it

Start by making the stock if you don’t have ready-made stock in the freezer:

1. Preheat the oven to 437°F.

2. Put the shells in a bowl and crush them with a hammer. Then spread the shells in a roasting pan.

2.2 lbs of heads and shells from shrimp, crayfish, and/or lobster

3. Distribute carrot, onion, leek, fennel or fennel seeds, and celeriac over the shells. Dot with tomato paste and sprinkle with canola oil. Put in the oven and roast shells and vegetables for 15 – 20 minutes.

1 carrot, coarsely sliced

1 large yellow onion, cut into large pieces

½ leek (it’s okay to use the dark green part), washed and cut into pieces

½ large or one small fennel (or 1 tbsp fennel seeds), cut into pieces

5.3 oz celeriac, peeled and cut into pieces

2 ½ tbsp tomato paste

¼ cup canola oil

4. Transfer the shells and vegetables to a large pot or saucepan. Add wine, white peppercorns, and bay leaf. Fill the saucepan with water so that it covers seafood and vegetables. Let it simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Skim the stock regularly.

Water

3/4 cup dry white wine

10 white peppercorns

1 bay leaf

5. Remove from the heat and let the stock with vegetables and shells stand in room temperature until it has cooled completely, about 1 hour.

6. Strain the stock directly down into another large pot or saucepan. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the shells and vegetables. Discard shells and vegetables.

7. Boil the stock without a lid. When it starts boiling, lower the heat so that it simmers. Let the stock boil until it is reduced to half, about 1 hour. Skim off the stock regularly.

8. Freeze the seafood stock in small portions if there is any left over.

Jalapeño potatoes

9. Preheat the oven to 410°F.

10. Boil the potatoes and let them cool. Peel the potatoes and divide them into 4 small wedges and put them in a large bowl.

1.3 lbs small firm potatoes

11. Put garlic, jalapeño, olive oil, honey, flake salt, and black pepper in a food processor and blend to a smooth purée.

6 large cloves of garlic, finely grated

2–3 jalapeños, finely chopped

0.42 cup olive oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp sea salt

Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

12. Pour the purée over the potatoes and massage it into the potatoes.

13. Spread out the potatoes with marinade in a roasting pan and roast the potato wedges with marinade in the oven at 410°F for about 40 minutes.

Butter-fried fennel

14. Slice the fennel thinly and then cut the slices into pieces.

½ large or one small fennel

15. Heat up a frying pan and put in the butter. When the butter has stopped sizzling, add the fennel. Fry while stirring for a couple of minutes.

2 tbsp butter

16. Salt, pepper, and drizzle over honey. Mix well and let the mixture fry while stirring for half a minute.

Salt and pepper

1 tsp honey

Soup Base

17. Pour seafood stock, chili, cognac, sour cream, and whipping cream into a pot or saucepan and bring to a boil.

1 cup seafood stock

1 tbsp cognac

1.27 cups crème fraiche

0.42 cup heavy cream

18. Add red chili, Pul biber, and honey as well as salt and pepper. Let the soup base simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring. Ensure that the soup base does not boil over or burn.

About ½ tsp finely chopped red chili (amount depending on the strength of the chili).

½ tsp Pul biber

1 tsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Assembly

19. Place the potato wedges in a small, centered pile in the middle of a deep plate.

20. Put butter-fried fennel on top of the pile of potatoes.

21. Top the pile with peeled shrimp.

7 oz cooked peeled shrimp

22. At serving – pour on the hot soup base and top with a sprig of dill and possibly some strips of carrot.

1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips or shapes and fried in butter (can be omitted)

Serve the soup with a nice bread, preferably garlic bread.

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Tip: Save the shells and heads from the shrimp. Put them in a bag and freeze until you have enough to make a seafood stock.