Sopa de Galeras de Cádiz

Sopa de galeras is Gaditana, from Cádiz and the bay that feeds it, and it is not a polite little seafood soup. Galeras, mantis shrimp, are awkward to eat whole because of their sharp shells and little meat, but their heads and shells give a broth with the clean, sweet depth of the sea. That is the dish: not prawns floating in stock, but galeras worked for every bit of flavor they carry.

The method that decides it is the pounding and straining. You simmer the galeras briefly, crush the heads and shells so the juices run into the broth, then strain hard and fine. Skip that and you have a thin seafood water. Do it properly and the soup tastes of Cádiz before the sofrito even starts.

After that, the work is ordinary and exact: a slow sofrito, the onion base cooked until sweet, tomato cooked down until the oil shows again, and bread to give the broth body without making it heavy. If you can't find galeras where you are, use small whole shrimp with the heads on, or Norway lobster shells if your fishmonger has them. The flavor will be sweeter and less briny, but it will still make a proper soup if you pound the shells. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.