Island Comfort Food

Winter weather can be relentless and make it challenging to stay warm and dry. After a session of shoveling snow or braving the great outdoors, a meal that can quickly warm the core is fitting — especially if that meal can serve doubleduty by evoking feelings of a warm climate.

Popular throughout the Caribbean, this recipe for “Fish and Sweet Potato Soup” from “The Complete Mexican, South American & Caribbean Cookbook” (Metro Books) by Jane Milton, Jenni Fleetwood and Marina Filippelli, matches the subtle sweetness of sweet potato and the stronger infusion of flavors from fish and oregano to make for a warm and appetizing soup.

Fish and Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 4

6 ounces white fish fillet, skinned

1⁄2 onion, chopped

1 sweet potato, about 6 ounces, peeled and diced

1 small carrot, about 2 ounces, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or

1⁄2 teaspoon dried

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

51⁄2 cups fish stock

5 tablespoons light cream

Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Remove any bones from the fish and put it in a pot. Add the onion, sweet potato, carrot, oregano, cinnamon, and half of the stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

Leave to cool, then pour into a food processor, and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the remaining fish stock, and gently bring to a boil. Reduce the heat.

Stir the cream into the soup, then gently heat it through without boiling. If the soup boils, the cream will curdle. Serve hot, garnished with the chopped parsley.