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| Bouillabaisse Saaristo |
A celebrated seafood stew from Provence, made with an assortment of fish and shellfish,onions,
tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron and herbs. The stew is ladled over thick slices of
French bread and best topped with a spoonful of rouille*.
Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 leeks, sliced
3 ripe tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fennel
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 pound mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
1 cup dry white wine
8 cups boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
5 pounds sea bass
1 pinch saffron threads
3/4 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 baguette, sliced and grilled to toast [reserve a slice]
Method
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 mussels and wine, simmer. Add 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, wine, and water to combine.
Add fish, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish is
cooked. Add the shrimp during the last 4 to 6 minutes. The fish should be opaque and tender, but
still firm. Fish should not be falling apart, shrimp should not become tough.
Arrange the toasted baguette slices in individual soup dishes, or wrap in a napkin and place in a
basket for passing.
Taste the bouillabaisse and adjust the seasoning. Stir in saffron, and ½ cup of rouille. Pour soup
into a warmed tureen. Ladle bouillabaisse over croutons in warmed soup dishes.Pass remaining
rouille as a garnish.
*Rouille: Remove the crust from the 3-inch piece of baguette. Hold bread under running water to
soften; squeeze to remove the water.Put bread in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3
cup drained bottled roasted red peppers, 1/2 tsp. cayenne, 6 smashed cloves of garlic and 1/2
teaspoon salt.
Puree until smooth.
tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron and herbs. The stew is ladled over thick slices of
French bread and best topped with a spoonful of rouille*.
Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 leeks, sliced
3 ripe tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fennel
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 pound mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
1 cup dry white wine
8 cups boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
5 pounds sea bass
1 pinch saffron threads
3/4 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 baguette, sliced and grilled to toast [reserve a slice]
Method
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 mussels and wine, simmer. Add 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, wine, and water to combine.
Add fish, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish is
cooked. Add the shrimp during the last 4 to 6 minutes. The fish should be opaque and tender, but
still firm. Fish should not be falling apart, shrimp should not become tough.
Arrange the toasted baguette slices in individual soup dishes, or wrap in a napkin and place in a
basket for passing.
Taste the bouillabaisse and adjust the seasoning. Stir in saffron, and ½ cup of rouille. Pour soup
into a warmed tureen. Ladle bouillabaisse over croutons in warmed soup dishes.Pass remaining
rouille as a garnish.
*Rouille: Remove the crust from the 3-inch piece of baguette. Hold bread under running water to
soften; squeeze to remove the water.Put bread in a food processor. Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3
cup drained bottled roasted red peppers, 1/2 tsp. cayenne, 6 smashed cloves of garlic and 1/2
teaspoon salt.
Puree until smooth.