BOUILLABAISSE MADE SIMPLE
Serves: 6
BOUILLABAISSE MADE SIMPLE
Cook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 large pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tablespoons orange juice for 10 minutes (optional)
- 1 strip of orange zest
- 1 (14-ounce) can of whole peeled tomatoes, in juice
- 6 cups seafood stock or clam juice
- Some or all of the following seafood (ask your fish seller for enough to serve 4 to 6 people): halibut, cod, tilapia, or snapper (in large chunks); shell-on large shrimp or lump crabmeat; clams or mussels
- 1 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped
ROUILLE
- 1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
- 1/4 teaspoon hot water
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and fennel and sauté until just brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the saffron (if using), orange zest, tomatoes, and stock or clam juice. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the fish (but not shellfish). Cook for about 2 minutes. Add any clams, mussels, and shrimp. Simmer until the shells just begin to open, about 4 minutes more. Add any crab meat. Cook until all shells have opened, the shrimp is pink and curled, and the fish flakes easily, about 2 minutes.
- Serve from the pot, sprinkled with parsley, and topped with crusty bread and a dollop of rouille.
FOR THE ROUILLE
- Rich, aromatic rouille is a classic mayonnaise-based spread for the croutons that often accompany French fish soups; This one is especially delicious. Sprinkle saffron over hot water in a small cup and let stand for 1 minute. Blend saffron mixture with remaining ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth.
Jamie Gwen
Jamie is a Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu Graduate, a Syndicated Radio Host, Certified Sommelier, Public Speaker and 7-Time Cookbook Author.
To support restaurants, I re-released my digital cookbook at $5.99 and will donate all proceeds from the sale of the book to the Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, set-up by the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.