Caldillo de Perro Gaditano

Caldillo de perro is Gaditano, from El Puerto de Santa Maria and the Bay of Cadiz, and it is not a thick fish stew. It is a clear fishermen's soup: onion, garlic, olive oil, white fish, parsley, and the juice of a bitter Seville orange. The name sounds like a joke, and it is a little one. There is no dog in it, only a poor kitchen making good sense of fresh fish and sour fruit.

The method that decides it is gentleness. Cook the onion and garlic slowly in olive oil until soft and sweet, but don't brown them. Then simmer the fish only until it flakes. If you boil it hard, the broth clouds and the hake turns dry, and the whole point of the dish is gone. This is cocina de cuchara, spoon food, but light enough for the coast.

If you can't find naranja amarga, bitter Seville orange, use mostly orange juice with a little lemon juice. It won't have quite the same floral bitterness, but it gives the sharp lift the soup needs. Add it off the heat or at the table, never let it boil. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.