Fish Soup with Onions, Cucumbers and Tomatoes

Ingredients

 * 1 cup of chopped onions
 * 1 bay leaf
 * 2 sprigs of parsley
 * 3 teaspoons of salt
 * 2 1/ 2 pounds of sturgeon, halibut or haddock steaks, cut 1 inch thick
 * 4 tablespoons of butter
 * 2 cups of thinly sliced onions
 * 1 medium cucumber, peeled and halved, seeded and finely chopped
 * 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
 * 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper
 * 4 teaspoons of capers
 * 1 lemon, thinly sliced
 * 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
 * 12 black olives

Directions

 * 1) In a 3- to 4-quart pot, combine 6 1/ 2 cups of water, the onions, bay leaf, parsley and 1 teaspoon of salt.
 * 2) Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the fish, lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 6 minutes, until the fish is firm to the touch.
 * 3) Remove the fish and cut it into 1-inch chunks.
 * 4) Strain the fish stock through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing down on the onions and herbs with the back of a spoon before discarding them.
 * 5) In a 2- to 3-quart casserole, melt the butter over high heat.
 * 6) Add the sliced onions, and cook 6 to 8 minutes until the onions are soft but not brown.
 * 7) Stir in the cucumbers and tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes.
 * 8) Pour in the strained fish stock, season with the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and white pepper, and drop in the fish. Simmer gently a minute or two, until the soup and fish are heated through.
 * 9) Off the heat and stir in the capers, lemon, parsley and olives.
 * 10) Taste for seasoning and serve directly from the casserole