Spinach Bouillabaisse Recipes

SPINACH BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you prepare the spinach. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the spinach. Blanch for 30 seconds and transfer to a bowl of cold water without draining the water from the pot. Measure out 2 quarts of the boiling water and set aside. Drain the spinach, squeeze out excess water and chop coarsely. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion and leek. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, stir over medium heat until the garlic smells fragrant, no more than a minute, and stir in the broth from the spinach, the potatoes, bouquet garni and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, add the saffron, and turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but still intact and the broth is fragrant.
• Stir in the spinach, cover and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Add pepper, remove the bouquet garni, taste and adjust seasonings.
• Keep the soup at a bare simmer. Break each egg into the soup (I prefer to first break the egg into a teacup and then tip it into the soup). Cover and continue to simmer until the eggs are set, about 5 minutes.
• Serve the soup in wide bowls with an egg in each one. Sprinkle gruyere over each egg, and garnish if desired with toasted rounds of baguette or whole-wheat bread rubbed with garlic.

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:

• 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.

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:

• Add saffron to sherry set aside.
• Cut fish into bite size pieces.
• Scrub clams and mussels.
• In a large stock pot heat oil. Saute onions, shallots, carrot, fennel, and garlic in oil on low heat until lightly golden.
• Add all liquids and seasonings including the saffron infused sherry.
• Bring to just a boil. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add all seafood adding squid last, mix and simmer 10 minutes.
• Serve hot in large bowls.
• Top with garnishes.
• Serve with crusty bread, and a tossed salad.

SPINACH BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 T salt and the spinach. Blanch just until wilted, less than a minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a bowl of cold water. Let sit for a couple of minutes, drain, and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely and set aside. Measure out 6 c of the cooking water and set aside.
• Heat 1 T olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for another minute or so, until fragrant.
• Add the spinach and stir together for a few seconds, then add the potatoes, the 6 c reserved blanching water, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and crumble in the saffron.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Add pepper. Discard the bouquet garni.
• Have the soup at a bare simmer. One by one, break each egg into a teacup, then tip into the soup. Poach the eggs for 4-5 minutes, until just set.
• Place a crouton in each bowl and, using a slotted spoon, scoop out a poached egg and place it on top. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Sprinkle on the cheese and drizzle on a little olive oil. 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.