Magical, not Magic
Magical, not Magic
An Ecuadorian Onion and Fish Soup works wonders as a restorative broth
How lucky are we to have a son who lives in Miami? Even better, his Ecuadorian wife is a fabulous cook and escorts me through her favorite farmers market where we shop for fruits and vegetables that I don’t know.
Many people visit Florida to tour the Magic Kingdom, a vast plastic universe with tons of kid appeal. I’ve been there and done that. Now I can enjoy the real magical nature of this tropical paradise filled with amazing creatures.
The morning peacock call is early, somedays 4 am. Their insistent squawk is louder and more plaintive than a rooster’s crow. The ostentation promenades through the neighborhood landing on rooftops and roosts in the live oaks so you need to be careful where you park.
Not far from where our son, Al, and his family live the Deering Estate is home to an aggregation of manatees. Six or seven of the massive mammals cavort in the pool in front of the Stone House, where the shallow water is muddy and fed by the salty roll of Biscayne Bay. They clean the sides of the mossy pool and breach for air, spinning their bulky selves gracefully.
In the backyard, the neighbor’s aviary houses a couple dozen brilliantly colored lovebirds that coo and whistle, matching pairs feeding and preening each other. The serenade makes hanging the laundry out on the line a pleasure.
We’re not in Kansas anymore—or Pennsylvania or Wyoming. The reality states.
Mary made Encebollado de Pescado, an onion soup not at all like the French version. She explained that at home in Guayaquil the soup is eaten any time of day but often for breakfast after a late night. Mary started with red onions, green peppers, and tomatoes simmering with cilantro in a soup pot, then added tuna steaks. Yuca cooked in a separate pot. She whipped up a fresh mixture of tomato, green pepper, and more red onion with lime and salt for a topping. All of this was done in minutes, while we sipped on frosty martinis to celebrate the stone crab harvest (another story.)
The tuna steaks were fished out of the broth and set aside to cool while Mary pureed the vegetable-fish broth in a blender with some of the yuca. Then she layered the assembly in deep bowls—cooked yuca, chunks of tuna, piping hot thickened broth, and fresh salsa. At the table, we added unsalted plantain chips and a lime wedge. Hot sauce was available, but I found the balance of flavors perfect. I had never had such a wonderful soup and each sip was a revelation.
Back in Wyoming when we have dinner together each of us with the power of language says what we are grateful for. I am grateful for this time in Florida with family, learning new foods, enjoying time with another young grandson about to turn two, and a woman and her children who weave a new colorful, and tasty dimension into our lives. Buen Provecho~
Mary Elizabeth Napa Mercado Corr’s Encebollado de Pescado
Serves 8
Broth:
4 red onions, halved
2 green peppers, seeded and cut into quarters
2 whole ripe tomatoes
A handful of cilantro sprigs
3 quarts of water
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 pounds tuna steaks
2 pounds yuca (Mary uses frozen yuca for ease and because it is hard to find good yuca even in Miami)
Salsa:
2 tomatoes, sliced into vertical slivers
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into slivers
1 red onion, peeled and slivered
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste
One tablespoon of minced cilantro
Place all the broth ingredients into a soup pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-40 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Boil the yuca for about 30-40 minutes until it is soft. Combine the salsa ingredients and set aside.
When the broth has simmered for 40 minutes, add the tuna steaks and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the tuna steaks and allow them to cool. When the yuca is soft, drain and allow to cool. Chop the yuca into one-inch cubes, removing the tough center fibers so that you only have the soft parts.
Strain the broth and place the vegetables in a blender. And some of the yuca (about 2 cups) and puree, adding some of the strained broth liquid. (Be careful if it is hot; it splatters.) Combine the pureed vegetable-yuca mixture and reheat.
Have your bowls ready and place about ½ cup of yuca and 2/3 cup of tuna chunks in each bowl. Top with the piping hot broth and then a tablespoon or so of the salsa. At the table, garnish with unsalted plantain chips and top with a wedge of lime. Have hot sauce hand for those who need but, honestly, it is perfecto.
