Bouillabaisse à la Marseillaise
Rich, flavorful and visually appealing, this French fish stew is a great dish to serve for special occasions!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil tips & tricks
- 3 1/2 cups fennel, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces and fronds reserved for garnish tips & tricks
- 2 cups leeks, washed and sliced tips & tricks
- 1 1/2 cups red onions, chopped
- 5 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 4 cups plum tomatoes, washed and quartered
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. dried orange peel (substitute a fresh orange strip)
- 3-4 sprigs thyme tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp. saffron threads
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
- 6 cups boiling water
- fish head, carcass and/or shrimp shells
- handful fresh parsley tips & tricks
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 3 lbs. mixed skinless lean white fish such as sea bream, tilapia, cod, turbot, etc. Footnote
- 3 lbs. mixed shellfish such as lobster, scampi, prawns, mussels, clams, and scallops
Directions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add oil and when it gets hot, add fennel, leeks, onions and garlic; stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, orange peels, thyme, dill, saffron and cayenne pepper; stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot; cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in boiling water and add fish heads/carcass/shrimp shells, add parsley, bay leaf, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; bring to a full boil; cook for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove the fish heads, bones and shells; discard. Remove sprigs of thyme and discard as well.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until smooth.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve over a large pot.
- Bring the heat to medium-high and when the broth starts to boil, add firmer fish first before adding the others (*see footnote). When they are all cooked, transfer them to a serving plate.
- Add shellfish starting with the ones that take the longest to cook. Transfer shellfish to the serving plate along with the fish and transfer the broth to a soup tureen.
- In shallow serving bowls, place a mix of fish and shellfish, ladle the broth over and serve with crusty bread. To add a nice finishing touch, place fennel fronds on top.
Notes
Footnote: Always add your firmer fish first as they take slightly longer to cook than the others.