Simple Bouillabaisse

• porciones: 6
• tiempo activo: 30 minutes
• tiempo total: 1 hour

Ingredientes

Seafood:

1 lb halibut, cod, or other white fish, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 lb clams/mussels, cleaned and scrubbed well

½ lb scallops (bay scallops work fine too)

½ lb medium sized shrimp

Soup:

4 cups seafood stock (store-bought, bouillon, or homemade)

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 leek, washed well and thinly sliced

1 small fennel bulb, sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp dried thyme (or 3-4 sprigs fresh)

1 pinch saffron

1 large piece of orange peel

3 bay leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

Chopped parsley and fennel fronds for garnish

Instrucciones

In a large pot with a thick bottom, add the olive and butter over medium heat. Once up to heat, add the leek and fennel and saute until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. We’re not looking to get much browning here.

Add the chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and continue sauteing for another 30 seconds.

Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices, along with the saffron and stir to combine. Cook down until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices.

Pour in the seafood stock and add the thyme, bay leaves, and orange peel. Bring it to a boil and simmer to combine all the flavors for 15-20 minutes.

If desired, pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth, working in batches. To get an even smoother texture, you can strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.

From here, you just want to cook the seafood you’ve chosen in an order that makes sense. Cook times listed here assume everything is already thawed and at fridge / room temp. The halibut / cod here will take the longest so add that first and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Then, add the mussels/clams and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the scallops and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Lastly, add the shrimp for another 2-3 minutes and continue simmering until just cooked through. At this point, the fish should be cooked through and the mussels can clams just opened.

Add a bit of the parsley and fennel fronds directly to the soup, then taste for seasoning. Make final adjustments and plate up with more parsley and fennel as garnish. Goes great with toasted bread and rouille for dipping!

Notas

A French fish soup traditionally made by fishermen using unsold fish to cook something. This soup uses fennel, leeks, and tomatoes as a base, combined with seafood stock. It’s also flavored with herbs and a bit of saffron. The seafood listed here are not necessarily traditional, but serve as a base to work from. Choose seafood that’s cheap, in season, and available to you as needed, but try to at least have a white fish to preserve the essence of the dish.