Vancouver’s best Wine Bar with over 125 wines by the glass, Provence Marinaside, also offers up modern Provençal cuisine, and they’ve just launched their Spring & Summer menu along with their NEW frozen Fish Soup to-go, and it’s Soup-er!
Mamie Suzanne’s Fish Soup, is now available in a convenient frozen bag for enjoying the flavours of the Mediterranean at home. Crafted with care by Chef Jean-Francis Quaglia & his team, and inspired by the vibrant coastal cuisine of Marseille in the South of France, this hearty soup boasts a rich tomato base infused with aromatic herbs and spices, and made with local West Coast fish.
You can enjoy this spectacular soup at the Restaurant too, alongside Chef’s favourite Léoube Rosé from Provence; or Wine Director Josh’s pick Rimauresq Rosé. These Rosés already pair wonderfully with fish and seafood, and they offer acidity and citrus notes that balance well with the richness of the Fish soup.
Not only is the Fish Soup new at the restaurant, they’ve also just introduced their New Spring & Summer menu. Salad Niçoise is an all-time favourite of mine, which I enjoyed recently. However, the Scallops with the avocado and pickled peperoncinis was really good too. And if you remember the days before TWB (The Wine Bar) was open, Provence had a glass case of tapas and snacks to-go, and this tender Squid recipe was popular, so they’ve brought it back! All these dishes were light and refreshing – just the way Spring dishes should be.
A little history for you about La Soupe de Poisson (Fish Soup). It’s a traditional dish of Chef Quaglia’s hometown of Marseille, France. And it was his late Mother, Chef Suzanne Quaglia’s feature dish at her restaurant – Le Patalain in Marseille.
“It’s essentially her recipe, but of course, keeping to the original spirit of using only local fish from our west coast. It’s a wonderful comfort food and brings the sunshine of Provence to your table even on Vancouver’s dreariest of gray days.” – Chef Jean-Francis
Traditionally, fish soup was prepared by slowly simmering a combination of leftover fish (that didn’t sell & so there was no waste), shellfish, tomatoes, onions, garlic, saffron and a bouquet garni (a bundle of herbs tied together) to create a flavorful fish stock. This process can take several days to extract all the flavors from the ingredients. The soup is then typically strained, resulting in a smooth and flavorful broth.
Along side the soup are toasted crostinis, which you spread with aioli (also called rouille, made with some of the stock) and then shredded gruyere cheese on top. You float these on top of the soup, and allow them to soak up the flavours.
This soup reminds me of my travels to the South of France years ago. While cruising the Mediterranean with my Mom, we docked in Monaco and had a day to explore the area. So, we made our way by train to one of the small French Riviera towns just west of Monaco. And that’s where I experienced my first Fish Soup, served with a glass of Provence Rosé. And today, it’s one of my favourite dishes to order.
It hit all the flavour marks, it was warming and very rich, it was the perfect dish to introduce me to life along the sunny coastline of Southern France. I do believe local cuisine is a way of getting to know the local culture, and this bowl of goodness did just that.
Perhaps this doesn’t excite you (yet), however I was very happy to just reheat this comfort-style soup at home. No mess, no hassle, no lingering fish smell in my kitchen for days, it’s all done for you!
That, right there, excites me!
Just serve this soup as a starter or a main course at your next dinner party, your friends will be amazed by your culinary prowess!
And I’ve already found you some inspiration for an easy Rouille recipe c/o The Spruce Eats – just remember to add a little fish soup stock to it!
Well, I hope this has peeked your interest, and you are excited to try this very special Fish Soup at home (or at Provence Restaurant), it’s guaranteed to make your belly happy!
Until next time, keep enjoying Spring Rosé season.
Cheers, Donita
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