There are a few solid Caldo de Peixe recipes online, but most call only for salt and pepper or are very vague regarding the spice profile used in the Islands of Cabo Verde. I am from Cabo Verde, and would like to add my own twist to this recipe that (hopefully) will give an authentic taste to this beloved traditional recipe. I hope that you enjoy this taste of my childhood.
I just re-found this recipe while going through my Mom’s old file box. She used to make this quite often when I was a child. She probably found the recipe in the newspaper. This is a quick, easy and delicious recipe using ingredients that I usually have on hand. It’s also very versatile as for substituting….I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used dried. I only had 1 can of diced tomatoes so I used the can of Ro-tel, which I did have on hand. Also, use any combo of fish/shellfish…tonight I made this using 2 small tilapia fillets and 1/2 lb. of bay scallops, it was a nice combo. This is a great cold weather soup….it will give you the warm fuzzies. I served it with freshly baked dinner rolls, though a crusty bread would be nice too.
Boiled make it sound awful (& is really a misnomer as the fish is simmered gently until just done) but it is unbelievably delicious & soul satisfying. Located in the Miami Herald who adapted it from Culinaria The Caribbean by Rosemary Parkinson, (Konemann, 1999). The Miami herald article said: “Bahamian people know there is nothing like a good fish broth or soup to give you strength for the day ahead. Any white fish can be used but grouper is preferred (see source). Serve with grits and cornbread.” If you can locate fish peppers to use in this dish, they are wonderful.
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