Garnish each bowl with a shrimp, a drizzle of Pernod if desired, and a piece of fennel frond.
Almost anything you catch yourself or find at the market can go into this stew. To not overcook the fish, add it just before serving with thicker slices going in maybe 2 minutes before thinner ones.
There is nothing weak-kneed about this vegetable broth. It's big flavors hold their own in any dish where poultry or meat stocks are usually used.
Dear Friends,
The Three Opportunities: You can dictate the character of your soup by how you decide to start cooking it.
Serve each half squash filled with a generous scoop of bean soup.
In Esmeralda Santiago's family, asopao is often the meal after the meal. Her mother, Ramona Santiago, usually makes this soup after everything else has been eaten, the Christmas dishes have been washed, and leftovers have been divided and stored in plastic so that everyone can take a bit of the Christmas meal home. As guests begin to leave the party, Mami offers the asopao. This happens every time the family gathers, not just during Navidades, but it's at Christmas when it's most appreciated, as we prepare to battle the cold and snow of life away from Puerto Rico.
For some people, the gutsiness of escarole and curly endive can be hard to take in a salad, but cook them into a soup like this one and those same folks will fall in love. Those greens simmered in good broth with a little wine, tomato, pasta and chickpeas are pure Italian home food.
This is good warm and cool and keeps in the refrigerator for a day or two.
The development of a recipe: Sounded delicious in my head, could almost taste it on my palate, could see its brilliant color and feel its creamy texture—like velvet on my tongue. But it took many tries to get it right.