Traditional Bouillabaisse Recipe
Bouillabaisse is a mixed fish stew made along with vegetables. European in origin, this bouillabaisse recipe has added seafood to it and is herbed with thyme and parsley. Coloured with a hint of saffron, which is the hallmark of bouillabase, this fish stew can be served over rice.
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 pounds mixed fish (red snapper, flounder, whiting, halibut, perch, red mullet, haddock, eel)
4 ripe tomatoes (or 1/2 cup canned tomatoes), peeled, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fennel
Pinch of saffron soaked in boiling water
1 sprig thyme
4 or 5 parsley stalks, chopped
2 or 3 thinly peeled pieces orange zest
2 to 3 cups fish stock or water
Salt and pepper
3/4 to 1 cup shrimp, clams, and lobster meat
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup white wine
6 to 8 slices French bread
Garnish
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 clove garlic, crushed
Pepper and salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
Heat oil in large pan.
Add onions, leeks, carrots, and garlic; cook slowly until golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add fish, boneless, cut into chunks.
Add tomatoes, bay leaf, fennel, saffron, thyme, parsley, orange zest, fish stock, salt, and pepper; cover.
Cook 15 to 20 minutes.
Add shellfish; leave shrimp whole; cut clam or lobster meat into chunks (canned minced clams and canned lobster meat can be used).
Bring to boil; cook 6 to 8 minutes.
Add lemon juice and wine; reheat a few minutes.
Adjust seasoning.
While soup is cooking, cut bread into 1/2 inch slices; put into warm oven to bake hard.
Mix butter with garlic.
Add pepper and salt; spread paste on bread slices.
Put slice of bread in bottom of each soup cup or plate.
Carefully spoon pieces of fish and shellfish into soup cups; divide equally.
Spoon over broth; sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Add onions, leeks, carrots, and garlic; cook slowly until golden brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add fish, boneless, cut into chunks.
Add tomatoes, bay leaf, fennel, saffron, thyme, parsley, orange zest, fish stock, salt, and pepper; cover.
Cook 15 to 20 minutes.
Add shellfish; leave shrimp whole; cut clam or lobster meat into chunks (canned minced clams and canned lobster meat can be used).
Bring to boil; cook 6 to 8 minutes.
Add lemon juice and wine; reheat a few minutes.
Adjust seasoning.
While soup is cooking, cut bread into 1/2 inch slices; put into warm oven to bake hard.
Mix butter with garlic.
Add pepper and salt; spread paste on bread slices.
Put slice of bread in bottom of each soup cup or plate.
Carefully spoon pieces of fish and shellfish into soup cups; divide equally.
Spoon over broth; sprinkle with chopped parsley.
