A Bouillabaisse of All Things Green from the Garden

Like the classic Provençal fish stew, Daniel DeLong's lovely vegetarian version of bouillabaisse is laced with saffron and fennel. The aioli and salsa aren't absolutely necessary, but they are worth the extra effort. Slideshow: More Provençal Recipes to Try 

A Bouillabaisse of All Things Green from the Garden
Photo: © James Baigrie
Total Time:
2 hrs
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 4 baby artichokes

  • 1/2 lemon

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced crosswise

  • 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

  • 1 medium fennel bulb, cut through the core into 1/2-inch wedges

  • 1 medium spring onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces or 4 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths

  • 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme

  • Kosher salt

  • 6 cups Vegetable Bouillabaisse Broth

  • Pinch of saffron threads

  • 4 baby turnips, halved lengthwise, or 2 small turnips, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

  • 3 plum tomatoes—seeded and diced

  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into large dice

  • 8 asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths

  • 2 tablespoons Pernod

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • Nettle Salsa, Classic Aioli and grilled bread, for serving

Directions

  1. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, pull off the dark outer leaves. Cut off the top fourth of the artichoke and peel and trim the stem. Halve the artichoke and scrape out the hairy choke. Rub the artichoke all over with lemon. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.

  2. In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the oil. Add the leek, potato, fennel, spring onion, thyme and a generous pinch of salt. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are barely softened, 7 minutes. Add the broth and saffron and bring to a boil. Stir in the turnips and artichokes; simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, 7 minutes.

  3. Add the tomatoes, zucchini and asparagus to the broth and simmer until the asparagus is crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the Pernod and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and season with salt and pepper. Serve the bouillabaisse in bowls with Nettle Salsa, Classic Aioli and grilled bread.

Suggested Pairing

Lively, medium-bodied California Sauvignon Blanc easily pairs with most vegetables.

Originally appeared: June 2013

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