Bistro Bouillabaisse Recipes

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the shrimp stock: In a large saucepan over high heat, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the shrimp shells and tails, onion, carrot and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, then add 10 cups of cold water, the tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally, for 40 minutes.
• Strain the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. The stock can be made 2 days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator, or frozen up to 3 months.
• For the tomato aioli: Combine the mayonnaise, anchovies, tomato powder, tomato paste, green onion, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the broth: Heat the oil in a large, high-sided saute pan over high heat and cook the fennel and onion until they begin to soften. Add the pastis and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, saffron, chile flakes and 2 cups of the shrimp stock. Bring to a boil, add the garlic and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add 4 more cups of shrimp stock, reduce the heat and cook until the flavors meld and the broth reduces slightly, about 20 minutes. Strain the shrimp-tomato broth into a large bowl, discard the solids, pour the liquid back into the high-sided saute pan and set aside.
• For the anchovy butter: Put the anchovies and butter in a bowl and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 20 minutes.
• For the seafood: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the scallops on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet.
• Add another tablespoon of the oil to the pan and season both sides of the halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Sear on one side until golden brown, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to the baking sheet with the scallops.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the large saute pan, season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sear until the shells become lightly golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of the reserved shrimp-tomato broth. Transfer the liquid to the remaining shrimp-tomato broth in the high-sided saute pan.
• Heat the shrimp-tomato broth over high heat. Add the mussels, cover and cook until they open, about 2 minutes. Remove the mussels to the baking sheet with a slotted spoon and discard any that did not open.
• Add the seared seafood and lobster tails to the shrimp-tomato broth, cover and let cook for 2 minutes.
• To serve: Add the anchovy butter to the broth and cook until thickened; stir in the parsley, tarragon and lemon zest. Top each baguette slice with a large dollop of tomato aioli and garnish with chives. Divide the seafood and broth among 6 large, slightly shallow soup bowls. Top each with a tomato aioli crouton and garnish with more parsley or tarragon or chives, if desired.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and add the onions, leeks, chopped tomatoes, and garlic. Cook and stir over a low heat for a few minutes until all vegetables are soft.
• Stir in the fennel, thyme, bay leaf, and orange zest. Add shellfish and boiling water; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Turn up the heat to high, and boil for about 3 minutes to allow the oil and water to combine.
• Add fish, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked. The fish should be opaque and tender, but still firm. Fish should not be falling apart.
• Taste the bouillabaisse and adjust the seasoning. Stir in saffron, and then pour soup into a warmed tureen or soup dishes. Serve immediately.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• To make the croutons heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the slices of bread on a flat baking tray in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 mins until golden and crisp. Set aside - can be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
• Use a layer of the green part of the leek to wrap around and make a herb bundle with the thyme, bay, parsley stalks, orange peel and chilli. Tie everything together with kitchen string and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a very large casserole dish or stock pot and throw in the onion, sliced leek and fennel and cook for about 10 mins until softened. Stir through the garlic and cook for 2 mins more, then add the herb bundle, tomato purée, star anise, Pernod if using, chopped tomatoes and saffron. Simmer and stir for a minute or two then pour over the fish stock. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, then add the piece of potato. Bubble everything gently for 30 mins until you have a thin tomatoey soup. When that piece of potato is on the brink of collapse, fish it out and set aside to make the rouille.
• While the broth is simmering make the rouille by crushing the garlic, chilli and saffron with a pinch of salt in a mortar with a pestle. Mash in the cooked potato to make a sticky paste then whisk in the egg yolk and, very gradually, the olive oil until you make a mayonnaise-like sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
• Once the chunky tomato broth has cooked you have two options: for a rustic bouillabaisse, simply poach your fish in it along with the mussels, if you're using (just until they open) and serve. For a refined version, remove the herb bundle and star anise. Using a handheld or table-top blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve into a large, clean pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Starting with the densest fish, add the chunks to the broth and cook for 1 min before adding the next type. With the fish we used, the order was: monkfish, John Dory, grey mullet, snapper. When all the fish is in, scatter over the mussels, if using, and simmer everything for about 5 mins until just cooked and the mussels have opened.
• Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop the fish and mussels out onto a warmed serving platter, moisten with just a little broth and scatter over the chopped parsley. Bring everything to the table. Some people eat it as two courses, serving the broth with croutons and rouille first, then the fish spooned into the same bowl. Others simply serve it as a fish stew. Whichever way you choose the rouille is there to be stirred into the broth to thicken and give it a kick.

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.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• The fish soup: Ask your fish market to give you the bones and heads of the moano, John Dory, nohu and opakapaka; cut all into 2-inch pieces. All together you should have approximately 8 pounds of fish scraps. If you are a good client you may get all of these at no charge!
• Soak the fish scraps in cold water for approximately 30 minutes. Wash thoroughly, drip dry. Dice onion, celery and fennel. Cut tomatoes in quarters. Crush the garlic cloves. Place the olive oil in a hot pot and wilt the vegetables without letting them color. Add fish scraps and wilt for an additional 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushed garlic cloves, bouquet garni, star anise, saffron and 5 quarts of water. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Boil for 25 minutes.
• SEE "THE BOUILLABAISSE" Remove the bouquet garni. Pass the entire contents, a little at a time, through a food mill. All should go through the food mill with the exception of the fish bones which you will discard. Place the soup in a clean pot and bring to a boil, seasoning according to taste. Flatten the puff pastry to 1/8-inch thick, cut 8-circles approximately 1-inch wider than the soup cup you will be using. Place in each cup, 8 ounces (1 cup) of fish soup, already cold, cover with puff pastry. With a brush, moisten the outer rim of the cup with egg yolk. Place the puff pastry over the cup and seal well. Brush the pastry with egg yolk.
• Peel the potato while still warm. In a mortar, muddle, garlic clove with cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the potato, muddle, add egg yolk and saffron, muddle. Slowly incorporate the olive oil and emulsify the "rouille" with the muddler until all of the oil has been used. Rub the outside of the baguette with garlic. Cut 16 slices, approximately 1/3-inch each, to be toasted.
• The Bouillabaisse: Poach the lobsters for 10 minutes in the soup. Remove and set aside. Ensure the live lobsters have been washed before poaching. Shell the lobsters, slice the lobster tails and set aside. Blanch the leeks and carrots in salted water, "al dente". Peel and slice potatoes approximately 1/8-inch thick. Cook the potatoes covered by an equal part of fish soup and water, add saffron. Do not overcook, they must stay in one piece. Poach the fish fillets in remainder of fish soup: nohu, opakapaka, John Dory and moano, in that order. The firmest fish requires longer cooking time and should go in first. The moano is very delicate and will not need more than 30 seconds cooking time. Bake the soup in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. In the bottom of each plate place the vegetable julienne and the sliced potato, distribute in each plate an equal portion of fish and lobster. Arrange as a fan. Sprinkle with diced tomato and fennel leaves. Place in front of each guest the fish plate, the fish soup in crust on the left of each plate. With a small ladle, break the crust and scoop a good helping of soup over your bouillabaisse. Float 1 or 2 croutons topped with the rouille and enjoy.

THE LADY'S BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Wash and scrub the mussels in cold water. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large, heavy pot. Add the mussels and cover the pot. Steam for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that didn't open. Remove from the heat and set aside. Cut the fish into 1-inch thick slices. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, fennel, saffron, salt, and pepper. Add the boiling water and clam juice. Bring to a rolling boil, add the crabs and fish, and continue to boil for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the mussels and their broth to the pot along with the shrimp, and boil for an additional 5 minutes.
• Slice the French bread, butter it, and toast lightly. Serve the bouillabaisse in large individual bowls lined with toasted French bread; pile in the seafood and ladle the broth over it. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of butter. Pass the remaining bread at the table. If you like a spicier soup you may add a couple of whole hot peppers to the pot at the start of cooking.

CREOLE BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Cut mushrooms into thin slices and allow to stand until needed.
• Melt butter; saute onions, garlic and flour until golden brown.
• Add tomato pulp and 2 cups of water, 4 cloves, bay leaves, curry, 1/4 cup of sherry and Tabasco sauce.
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Season with salt.
• While sauce is simmering, cook fish fillets in simmering water with 4 cloves and remainder of sherry for 15 minutes.
• Combine mushrooms and sauce with fish and cook for five minutes.
• Remove pieces of fish from sauce, place on buttered toast on a large platter; pour sauce over fish and serve.

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.