Fish Soup -- Forget The Thick Chowder Approach And Think Coconut Milk And Hot Peppers

FISH SOUP SOUNDS LIKE something moms use to terrify kids who keep asking what's for dinner. Not to worry. This version blends coconut milk, hot peppers and lime juice to make a creamy, fresh-tasting broth that takes advantage of summer's bounty. There's nothing fishy about it. Think of it as an elegant chowder, though it isn't thick and has no potatoes.

I admit to having very definite (tyrannical) attitudes about how fish should be cooked. With fish stocks around the world threatened with extinction, it seems a sacrilege not to treat every fillet with perfect reverence. The standard cooking directions - 10 to 12 minutes to the inch of thickness, flakes easily - are overly broad, since different kinds of fish cook differently, and fish generally continues to cook after it is removed from the heat.

America's appreciation of fish is slowly improving, but it is nowhere as sophisticated as that found in, say, Japan. In America, fish is purchased either fresh or frozen, with a set price for each.

In Japan, there's a sliding scale of prices, weighted by the condition of the fish. One-day-old fresh fish costs more than three-day-old fresh fish, for example. The Japanese would be aghast at the salmon tossed through the air at the Pike Street Market for the delight of tourists, with the potential for bruising the flesh. It's true that the fish mongers at Tokyo's Tsukiji market sink longshoreman's hooks into bluefin tuna and toss them about like

bales of hay, but these giant fish are frozen rock hard and nearly impervious to harm.

Last year I went to Alaska and came home with a nice supply of salmon and halibut. One hundred pounds of fish in the freezer is a humbling responsibility; it means having a lot of recipes to keep the eating interesting and freezer burn at bay. There's nothing sadder than a beautiful fillet ruined by hibernation in the freezer, although the cats are usually happy about it. There are a variety of techniques for successful freezing, but the best is flash freezing and vacuum packing by a commercial outfit. While frozen fish is best used within three months, I've eaten flash-frozen fish that was perfectly edible after nine months.

A favorite recipe, for both fresh and frozen fish, is to cook the fish with chicken broth, coconut milk and various spices to make a soup. This Southeast Asia-inspired preparation is easily adjusted to accommodate a whim or what's in the refrigerator; it's not so much a hard and fast formula as a three-step strategic approach.

The first step is to simmer chicken stock with hot peppers, and whatever other flavors you may want to add, such as garlic, ginger, carrots or onions.

The second step is to add the raw fish, cut up into chunks. The third step is to add lime juice and coconut milk. (Coconut milk is readily available in a can.) Add some chopped green onion, cilantro and chopped tomato (for color as well as flavor), and you're done. Serve.

The only tedious part in this preparation is seeding and chopping the hot peppers, which should be done with protected hands. However, the hot peppers contribute a flavor that is worth the effort. A simple protection is to place each hand in a plastic bag before chopping.

Almost any fish can be used, but the mild white meat of halibut works especially well. Now that fishing quotas are in place for the commercial harvesting of halibut, instead of the twice yearly 24-hour derby, fresh halibut is more readily available and of decent quality.

If I expect to have leftover soup, I'll usually reserve some raw fish to add the next day. That way the fish doesn't turn to rubber when the soup is reheated.

The basic three-step approach can be dressed up for company or simplified for a quick meal.

For a special dinner I might enrich the chicken broth by simmering and then straining out coarsely chopped vegetables, such as carrots and onions (or just use a can of vegetable broth, as in today's recipe). Some other vegetables, such as decoratively cut zucchini, are then briefly simmered and included in the final soup.

I'll usually throw in some other marine tidbits. That's the fun of fish soups, adding things that are in season or look good. Often I'll use shellfish to give a more distinct taste of the sea. I'll cook clams or mussels in a pan with a bit of water until they just open, then pour the clam liquid into the soup. The shellfish meat is reserved and stirred into the soup at the last minute before serving.

If you don't want to be bothered with such niceties, or need an emergency dinner, simply open up a can or two of chicken-noodle soup and heat. Add the cut-up fish. Just before the fish is cooked, add some hot (cayenne pepper, Tabasco or salsa), some sour (lime juice, lemon juice or vinegar) and, finally, a few tablespoons of coconut milk. Cans provide a good coconut milk, but there'll be a good bit leftover if you open a can for a small serving. For that situation you may prefer a couple of tablespoons of reconstituted coconut milk powder. I keep both cans and powder on hand in my larder as staples, though I rarely use the powder.

Taste and readjust the flavors. If you're handy with a can opener you'll be presenting a lovely meal in just a few minutes.

David Berger writes on the arts and Pacific Northwest outdoors. Betty Udesen is a Seattle Times photographer.

HALIBUT BY MOONLIGHT (COCONUT FISH SOUP) ---------------------------------------- Serves 4 to 6

4 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled Optional: zest (green part of peel) of one lime 1 (49 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth (about 6 cups) 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth 1 1/2 pounds halibut fillet, cut into large bite-sized chunks 1 can (13 1/2 ounces) coconut milk (2 cups) 4 to 5 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice 1 cup meaty tomato, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup green onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped 1 cup cooked small shrimp 10 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan simmer jalapenos, garlic and zest in the chicken and vegetable broths, for 8 to 10 minutes. 2. Remove garlic. Stir in halibut and cook until just done. Remove from heat. 3. Add coconut milk. Whisk briefly. Add lime juice, tomato, green onion, cilantro, shrimp and basil. Cover and let sit for a few minutes for flavors to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in communal or individual bowls.