Canadian Bouillabaisse Recipes

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.

BRITISH COLUMBIA BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the garlic oil and confit puree: Place the garlic and oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepot. Place over medium-high heat and bring it up to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and poach slowly until garlic cloves are very soft, about 1 hour.
• Strain the garlic out of the oil, reserving the garlic and oil separately.
• Place the strained garlic into a food processor and puree until silky smooth, about 1 minute. For a richer, smoother puree, add some garlic oil back in and process to emulsify. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• For the soup base: Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/2 cup of the reserved garlic oil and sweat, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the fennel and cook, 1 minute more. Add the garlic, red and yellow peppers, bay leaves and saffron, stirring. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and add the diced tomatoes and additional stock if using (if you desire a lighter soup). Bring back to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes, then season to taste.
• For the bouillabaisse: Bring the soup base to a boil, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the reserved garlic confit puree and add the clams. Cover and cook until the first clamshell opens, 20 to 30 seconds. Add mussels, then stir the pot, cover and cook 20 more seconds.
• When the soup is boiling again and more shellfish are beginning to open, add the remaining cubed fin fish. Stir, cover and cook for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and let sit for about a minute with out opening the lid.
• Adjust the seasoning and warm some soup bowls. Divide the fish evenly among the bowls, then pour over the remaining liquid. Finish with a 1 tablespoon of the garlic confit puree and sprinkle with the freshly chopped parsley. This is great with crusty bread.

TRADITIONAL BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Marinate fish: Stir together saffron and pastis; set aside. Stir together sliced fennel, 1/4 cup fronds, and 2 tablespoons garlic. Divide fennel mixture between two 9-by-13-inch nonreactive baking dishes. Cut fish into uniform portions, each 4 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Generously season with salt. Put thick pieces in one baking dish and thin ones in the other. (They will be poached in separate batches later.) Pour 2 tablespoons pastis mixture and 1/4 cup oil into each dish; turn fish to coat. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning once.
• Meanwhile, prepare stock: Cover fish heads and bones with cold water; let soak. Heat remaining 1/4 cups oil in a tall, 10-quart stockpot (that includes a steamer basket for later use) over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, leeks, celery, chopped fennel, 1 tablespoon salt, and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 7 minutes.
• Add tomato paste; stir well. Stir in 2 cups wine, remaining pastis mixture, orange zest, and juice. Tie together bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and rosemary sprigs with kitchen string; add to pot. Stir broth. Bring to a boil.
• Drain and rinse fish heads and bones; add to pot. Pour in 10 cups cold water (liquid should come to within 3 inches of rim of pot). Bring to a boil; let boil for 10 minutes. Skim foam from surface.
• Reduce heat to medium-high. Stir in tomatoes. Cook until stock is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Raise heat to high; boil until olive oil binds with liquids, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring marinated fish to room temperature.
• Steam shellfish: Put mussels and shrimp in a large, shallow pot (steaming the shrimp in their shells enhances their flavor). Add 1/2 cup wine and 1/4 cup fennel fronds; cover. Cook over high heat until shrimp are pink and cooked through and mussels are open (check pot frequently after 4 minutes). Transfer cooked shellfish with a slotted spoon to a large bowl (after 7 minutes, discard any mussels that remain closed); reserve pot. Cover bowl with foil.
• Pass stock through a food mill: Using tongs or a slotted spoon, lift out heads and large bones; discard. Discard herbs. In batches, pass stock through a food mill set over the pot of shellfish juices, extracting as much liquid as possible. (If you don't have a food mill, pass stock through a fine sieve, firmly pressing on solids with the back of a ladle.) Discard solids.
• Pass broth through a chinois or a fine sieve into stockpot. Press on solids; discard. Reserve 1/2 cup broth for rouille.
• Cook potatoes: Bring broth to a boil. Place potatoes in steamer basket; submerge in broth. Reduce heat to medium; cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter; cover with foil.
• Cook fish: Return broth to a boil. Place thick fish pieces in basket; submerge in broth. Reduce heat to low. Poach until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to platter; cover with foil. Return broth to a boil; place thin fish pieces in basket; submerge in broth. Reduce heat to low; poach until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to platter; pour any juices from platter and shellfish bowl into broth. Cover fish and shellfish with foil.
• Pass broth through a chinois or fine sieve into a serving bowl. Press on solids with a ladle; discard solids.
• Serve: Ladle about 3/4 cup broth into each bowl. Serve with rouille-topped croutons. Follow with fish and potatoes, served with any remaining broth.

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.

CANADIAN BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a stainless steel saucepan.
• Add celery, onion, green onions and garlic.
• Cook five minutes until soft.
• Stir in thyme, fennel, orange peel, tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, bay leaf and cayenne.
• Simmer, covered, about 25 minutes Stir occasionally, breaking up tomatoes.
• About 20 minutes before serving, add haddock, cut in pieces, scallops and shrimp.
• Simmer about 15 minutes.
• Remove peel and bay leaf. Serve.

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the broth: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp heads and shells and saute a few minutes until starting to brown. Add the celery, bay leaf, leeks, onions and peppercorns; stir for a couple of minutes. Add the herb bundle and cover with the stock, then add the saffron and bring to a simmer. Let bubble gently for about 30 minutes. Strain and reserve.
• For the spicy garlic aioli: Whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, Dijon and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the oil to emulsify. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• For the bouillabaisse: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium to large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the andouille and cook until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the garlic, celery, onions, fennel and bell peppers. Let sweat for 8 to 10 minutes, adding the tomatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the beer and bring to a simmer. Let reduce for a few minutes, then add 2 to 3 cups of the shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Add the redfish and shrimp and let cook through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crabmeat to heat through. Season with Old Bay and hot sauce and add the andouille back to the pot.
• To serve: Spread the aioli on the toasted baguette slices and divide among four shallow bowls. To each bowl, add three pieces of fish, three pieces of shrimp, some crab and some Andouille. Pour in some of the broth, making sure to include the vegetables in the broth. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

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.

CAJUN BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add chopped vegetables with.
• garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Cook 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, clam juice,wine, fennel seed, saffron, salt, pepper and parsley. Simmer15 minutes.
• Add the scrubbed mussels (make sure beard is removed), shelled shrimp, scallops (cut in half) and the fish (cut in chunks). Cook 15 minutes longer and be careful when you stir it that you don't break up fish. Serve up Bouillabaisse in soup plates with hot French bread.

CARIBBEAN BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Fill a tall stockpot with water; bring to a boil. Add lobsters, and cook 9 minutes. Remove lobsters from water; set aside until cool enough to handle. Separate claws and tails from bodies; set all parts aside.
• Make a bouquet garni by placing thyme sprigs, bay leaves, 10 parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in a 12-inch-square piece of cheesecloth. Form a bundle, and tie with kitchen twine. Set bouquet aside.
• In a wide, low-sided stockpot, combine 1 tablespoon butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; melt over low heat. Add the shallots and garlic; cook until vegetables are translucent, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove and discard the peel and pith from limes; cut the flesh in half, and set aside. Transfer the shallot mixture to a small bowl, and set aside.
• Place lobster bodies in the wide stockpot. Raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lime flesh and Pernod; light a long wooden match, and carefully ignite Pernod. Allow the flame to burn out. Add saffron; cook 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, bouquet garni, and fish stock. Raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and let stock simmer, skimming foam as it rises to the surface, until stock is reduced by one-third, about 40 minutes. Set a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a large bowl, and strain stock; set aside. Discard solids, and rinse stockpot.
• Using kitchen shears, cut open a lobster tail, and carefully remove the meat in one whole piece; set aside. Repeat with remaining tails, and slice meat in half lengthwise. Crack or cut open each claw, removing meat in one piece. Discard shells, and set the meat aside, covered.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches, cook the snapper fillets until browned and crisp, 3 minutes on each side. Transfer fillets to a plate, and set plate aside in a warm place.
• Melt the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter in the rinsed stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the reserved shallot mixture, shrimp, and mussels; saute 4 minutes. Add strained stock, Tabasco, and salt; simmer 3 minutes. Add reserved lobster meat; cook until mussels open and shrimp have cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• To serve, place a snapper fillet in each of six large soup plates, and evenly distribute the shellfish and broth among the bowls. Coarsely chop the remaining 6 sprigs of parsley, and garnish bouillabaisse.

LATINA-STYLE BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Cook bacon and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a very large skillet over high heat, stirring frequently for 4 minutes. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, habenero, saffron, and sherry. Let reduce by half.
• Add evaporated milk to skillet and continue to let mixture cook until reduced by half. Add chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, carefully transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour blended mixture into a large saucepan; add seafood stock. Cook over medium-high heat until heated through.
• Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add clams, scallops, and jumbo shrimp; cook for 2 minutes. Add extra-large shrimp, snapper, mussels, and heated seafood stock mixture. Cook until shrimp is pink and shellfish have opened. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately garnished with cilantro sprigs.