FISH BROTH ( Brodo di Pesce )
1 liberal pound of fresh codfish, or any other lean fish for boiling
1 quart of water
1 onion
Parsley
Salt and pepper
Boil until fish is thoroughly cooked; strain and serve.
CODFISH SOUP ( Zuppa di Merluzzo )
Take one-half pound of salt codfish that has been soaked, cut it up into squares, but not small.
Prepare in a saucepan four tablespoons of good olive-oil, and one small onion cut into pieces. Cook the onion in the oil over a slow fire, without allowing the onion to become colored, then add a small bunch of parsley stems, a small piece of celery, a bay-leaf, and a small sprig of thyme. Cool for a few moments, then add two tomatoes, skinned and with the seeds removed, and cut into slices, two tablespoons of dry white wine, and one medium-sized potato, peeled and cut into slices, and, lastly, one cup of water.
When the potato is half cooked, add the codfish, then one-half tablespoon more of olive-oil. Remove the parsley stems, and put in instead one-half tablespoon of chopped-up parsley; add a good pinch of pepper, and some salt, if needed. When the vegetables are thoroughly cooked pour the soup over pieces of toasted or fried bread, and serve.
LENTIL SOUP ( Brodo di Lenticchie )
3 tablespoons of dried lentils 1/2 tablespoon of butter 2 tablespoons of cream Meat stock
Cover the lentils with water and boil until they are quite soft. Pass them through a colander or a sieve. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the lentils and cream, mixing well, then add a ladleful of the stock, and boil for a few minutes; then add the rest of the desired amount of stock, a ladleful at a time.