Beach Bistros Famous Bouillabaisse Recipes

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Make croutons:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.
• Arrange bread slices in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and brush both sides with oil. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast with a cut side of garlic.
• Make soup:
• Plunge lobster headfirst into a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling water, then cook, covered, 2 minutes from time lobster enters water. Transfer lobster with tongs to a colander and let stand until cool enough to handle. Discard hot water in pot. Put lobster in a shallow baking pan. Twist off claws with knuckles from body, then crack claws with a mallet or rolling pin and separate claws from knuckles. Halve body and tail lengthwise through shell with kitchen shears, then cut crosswise through shell into 2-inch pieces. Reserve lobster juices that accumulate in baking pan.
• Cook tomatoes, onion, and garlic in oil in cleaned 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir potatoes into tomatoes with fennel fronds, bay leaf, saffron, sea salt, and pepper. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add thicker pieces of fish and cockles to soup and simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in mussels, shrimp, lobster, including juices, and remaining fish and simmer, covered, until they are just cooked through and mussels open wide, about 5 minutes.
• Stir 3 tablespoons broth from soup into rouille until blended.
• Arrange 2 croutons in each of 6 to 8 deep soup bowls. Carefully transfer fish and shellfish from soup to croutons with a slotted spoon, then ladle some broth with vegetables over seafood.
• Top each serving with 1 teaspoon rouille and serve remainder on the side.

BISTRO BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through garlic); cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add tomato, fennel seeds, thyme, tarragon, and saffron; cook 1 minute. Stir in wine and liqueur; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add juices and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes. Add clams and grouper; cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until clams begin to open.
• Add mussels, shrimp, and lobster; cook 4 minutes or until mussels open. Discard any unopened clams or mussels. Garnish with parsley.

ISLAND-STYLE BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the epis: Put the the oil, the garlic, cloves, scallions, thyme, habanero, lime juice, onion, parsley, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until it reaches a thick consistency.
• For the bouillabaisse: Add 2 tablespoons of the epis to the whole fish and let marinate.
• Clean the mussels by soaking in cold water and removing the beard from each mussel. Clean the clams by brushing with a soft brush to remove all the grit and sand. Then let them soak in cold salted water until ready to cook.
• Add 1 cup of the oil to a large pot over medium heat and saute the garlic, leeks, onions, turmeric and ginger until soft, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Then add the dried shrimp, shrimp paste, tomato paste, thyme and half of the remaining epis and cook until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Deglaze with half of the wine, the coconut water and fish stock, add the Scotch bonnet chile and simmer on low heat until reduced by thirty percent. Turn off the heat, transfer the contents to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve. Add the stew back to the pot and let simmer on low.
• While stew is simmering, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat to grill the whole fish. Place the fish on the grill and cook on one side until golden, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden and cooked through, about 7 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
• While the fish is on the grill, in another large pot heat the remaining tablespoon oil over medium heat with the remaining epis and the shallots. Cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the clams and deglaze with the remaining wine. Ladle some stew into the pan and cover until the clams are fully cooked and open, 5 to 8 minutes. Discard any that don't open.
• Add the mussels to the simmering stew and cook until they open, 5 to 8 minutes. Discard any that don't open.
• Plate the grilled fish on a large platter. Arrange the clams and mussels in the stew around the fish.

BEACH BISTRO'S FAMOUS BOUILLABAISSE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat a heavy bottom stockpot over high heat. Add the oil and garlic. Saute the garlic for 5 minutes and then add the vegetables, stirring well to prevent burning, and allow to cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Next add the bases, dried herbs, white wine and pernod, bring to a simmer, and allow to reduce for 5 minutes. Add canned ingredients and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste.