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STOCK UP ON SOU

PText and photos by Dragana Harris • Recipe by Nenad M

irkovich

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“Cooking is an art,” says artist Nenad Mirkovich, his thick Serbian accent marking every word, “and chefs are like artists. I experiment in the kitchen almost as much as I practice my art. And filleting a fish properly is an art in itself.”

Mirkovich began cooking at the age of seven in his native Serbia. His father, famous portrait painter Branislav Mirković, taught him to appreciate nature and how to fish on the banks of the Danube and Sava rivers in Belgrade. “It’s all about timing when cooking seafood,” says Mirkovich, who now delights in fishing the bay waters outside his weekend home on Tiki Island near Galveston. Making the base, or stock,

for the soup takes a few hours for the flavors to mature, whereas finishing the soup with fresh fillets and shellfish takes just a few minutes.

Well known for his portraits, land-scapes and genre scenes of the old coun-try, Mirkovich is equally respected for the healthful dishes that he shares at his dining table. Cooking with organic pro-duce and dry goods as much as possible and avoiding sugar, Mirkovich claims the only doctors he has seen in his life are his dentist and ophthalmologist.

A favorite is Mirkovich’s spicy seafood soup – chock full of shellfish and fish fillets in a rich brick-red stock made with the bones and shells that remained after he carefully dissected the seafood.

Paprika, a favorite of the Balkans, cayenne pepper and red wine impart their exquisite colors and flavors, and clouds of soft wheat dumplings com-plete this masterful seafood treasure.

Mirkovich claims that saltwater fish has more flavor than freshwater fish because it is higher in fat. Because the fat in seafood is what ages it quicker and could make it unpalatable, it needs to be very fresh. According to Mirkov-ich, sourcing the freshest seafood (if you cannot fish for it yourself ) is not difficult if you follow a few simple rules: Buy frozen seafood whenever possible because it is packed on the boat as soon as it’s caught. Fish sitting on ice in a display case has been thawed and must be carefully examined for freshness.

The fish’s eyes must be clear and not red and cloudy. In the case of red snapper that have red eyes, ask to see the gills – they must be blood red and not turning brown. Mirkovich avoids farm-raised seafood or seafood from Asia due to concerns about aquaculture practices.

As we cooked and joked together in my kitchen that day, his passion, phi-losophy and free spirit inspired me. He left with one last word of advice – don’t skimp on the quality of the wine when cooking, and drink the same wine that you use in the soup. NENAD MIRKOVICH’S SEAFOOD SOUPwith Cream of Wheat Dumplings 2 gutted red snapper, about 3 lbs. each1 flounder, about 1¾ lbs.2 lbs. frozen shrimp with or without

heads, thawed12 oz. package frozen Louisiana

crawfish, thawed1 lb. shucked oysters3 cloves garlic, chopped4 sprigs dill, coarsely chopped3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil16 oz. frozen mussels

METHOD: Fillet the fish by cutting it next to the gills and running your knife carefully along the length of the fish as close to the central bone as possible. Taper off at the tail. Set fillet aside and flip the fish over and repeat on the other

"TROPHY CATCH" by NENAD MIRKOVICH

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side. Check the fish fillets and fish carcass for any yellowish areas that in-dicate that the gall bladder was broken when gutted. These yellow areas could make the stock and soup bitter. Wash fish heads thoroughly, concentrating on the gills as they may harbor bacteria. Remove and discard any remaining organs such as the liver. Place the fish carcasses (head, bones and tail) in a large stockpot. Set aside.

Examine the fillets and remove the reddish brown area that runs the length of one side of the fish. Discard, as this could cause the soup to be bitter. Place fish fillets in a large bowl. If the shrimp are whole, remove heads and shells. Place heads and shells in the stockpot. Devein the shrimp and add them to bowl with fish fillets. Add crawfish, oysters, chopped garlic, dill and olive oil to bowl. Mix gently with your hands so that the seafood is coated in oil and garlic. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator. FOR THE STOCK 4 celery ribs with leaves, chopped into

large pieces4 large carrots, chopped into large pieces1 whole garlic bulb, cut in half

crosswise, skin intact1 medium onion, ends cut off and cut

in half crosswise, skin intact2 red or orange bell peppers or other

sweet pepper, cut in half lengthwise4 Roma tomatoes, cut in quarters3 parsnips, sliced in half lengthwise1 orange, peeled and cut in half

lengthwise½ lemon, peeled

½ tsp. peppercorns1½ Tbsp. kosher salthalf bunch each of basil, mint, parsley

and dill (reserve the remaining half ofherbs for use in the soup later)

6 quarts water METHOD: Add all ingredients to the fish carcasses and shrimp shells in the large stockpot. Cover pot with lid and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and allow stock to simmer for at least two hours. Strain liquid into a large pot and discard the solids. Rinse stockpot and pour stock back into it. FOR THE SOUP 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil1 red bell pepper, ¼-inch dice2 small onions, finely chopped8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely

chopped6 Roma tomatoes, diced3 carrots, ¼-inch dice4 stalks celery, ¼-inch dice1½ cups dry red wine such as Cabernet

or Merlot1 tsp. kosher salt½ cup each coarsely chopped basil, mint

and parsley¼ cup chopped dill3 Tbsp. paprika1½ tsp. cayenne pepper METHOD: Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onions, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, celery, wine and salt and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still firm. Add herbs and spices and then add the mixture to the stock.

CREAM OF WHEAT DUMPLINGS 4 large eggs½ tsp. kosher salt½ tsp. baking powder1 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped1½ cups Cream of Wheat (available in

oatmeal section of the supermarket) METHOD: Whisk eggs, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add parsley and stir. Whisk mixture while slowly adding Cream of Wheat. Let mixture sit for about 10 minutes to thicken. Mixture should be thick but not stiff.

Meanwhile, bring stock and vegeta-bles to a boil and add more salt to taste. Using a teaspoon, scoop a little dump-ling mixture into spoon and lower into boiling soup until dumpling releases from spoon. Do not shape dumplings with hands or they will be tough. Repeat with rest of the mixture until all dumplings are formed and in the soup. Cook for about 10 minutes until dump-lings are cooked and tender. TO SERVE THE SOUP:Right before you plan to serve, add the fish fillets, shrimp and mussels to the simmering soup. Remove soup from heat source and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Garnish with additional chopped basil, mint and parsley and serve immediately. Serves 8 to 10.

Dragana Arežina Harris is a life-long food, wine and travel enthusiast. She blogs about food at draganabakes.blogspot.com and dabbles in chocolate at dragana-bakes.com

PLACE THE CARCASSES IN A LARGE STOCKPOT.

REMOVE THE REDDISH BROWN AREA THAT RUNS THE LENGTH OF ONE SIDE OF THE FISH.

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FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT HOW TO FILLET A FISH, GO TO MY-TABLE.COM/SIDEDISH/FISHFILLET FOR A VIDEO DEMONSTRATION BY HOUSTON CHEFS JOJO URBANO AND DONALD CHANG.

NENAD MIRKOVICH’S

SEAFOOD SOUP

TURN TO PAGE 64 FORROBIN BARR SUSSMAN'S ROUND-UP OF SEAFOODCIOPPINO (FISH STEW).