How To Make Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse recipe. An incredible blend of flavours from the sea, this recipe which has its origins in the port city of Marseille will be well worth the effort when you savour the rich complexity at the heart of the soup.
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Step 1:
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You will need
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40 ml olive oil
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2 leeks , sliced
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1 fennel bulb , sliced
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1 large onion , sliced
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1 garlic head , cut in half
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½ tomato , chopped
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1 tsp tomato purée
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a few sprigs of parsley
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a few sprigs of thyme
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2 bay leaves
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2 orange rinds , free of pith
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1 ½ ltr water
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500 ml fish stock
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1 tbsp fennel seeds
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1 tsp saffron
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2 tbsp Pernod
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the bones of 1 sea bream , plus fillets cubed
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the bones of 1 red rock cod , plus fillets cubed
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200 g mussels , cleaned
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2 potatoes , diced
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2 tbsp parsley , chopped
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salt and pepper
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2 saucepans
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1 sieve
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1 ladle
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1 wooden spoon
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Step 2:
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Begin the vegetables
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Place a saucepan onto medium high heat. When hot add the olive oil, leeks, fennel, onion and the garlic. Stir well and sweat them until tender.
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Step 3:
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Make the bouillabaisse base
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Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and the fish bones. To enhance the flavour you can also add in some prawn shells. Add the stock, and the water. Bring it all to a simmer. Once simmering, skim the surface of any impurities with your ladle. Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, orange peel, fennel and the saffron. Make sure that everything is submerged. Leave to cook for 45-60 minutes.
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Step 4:
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Finish the bouillabaisse
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After this time, ladle the soup into a sieve with a pan underneath. Push all the juices through with your ladle. Put the pan of strained liquid back onto the heat. Add the diced potatoes, the Pernod and season with salt and pepper. Bring it back to a simmer and then cook it for a further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Add the cubes of sea bass fillets, the cubes of the red rock cod fillets and the mussels. Once the mussel shells have opened, sprinkle over the parsley.
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Step 5:
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Serve
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Ladle the bouillabaisse into bowls while steaming hot! This tasty soup is traditionally served with toast and rouille.