Niagara Bouillabaisse

By irvingd

Ingredients

• Seafood Broth
• 2 Tbsp (25ml) olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 bottle(750 ml) dry white wine (Chardonnay)
• 24 tightly closed frest little-neck clams,scrubbed
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 24 tightly closed fresh mussels, scrubbed
• Bouillabaisse
• 1/4 cup (50ml) diced pancetta
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup(125ml)eached chopped onion and diced celery
• 1/4 fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250ml) seeded cored and chopped tomatoes
• 3 sprigs thyme,leaves picked off and finely chopped
• 1 tsp (5ml) tomato paste
• Pinch cayenne (optional)
• 2 cups diced scrubbed potatoes
• 1 lb (500g) boneless skinless whitefish fillets cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chervil, dill and chives for garnish

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Seafood Broth
Heat a large pot over medium heat; add olive oil and butter. When butter foams, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3-5 min, until softened but not browned.
Add wine, clams and thyme.Cover pot and increase heat to high.Cook covered for 5-10 min until clams have opened slightly. Add mussels;cook, covered for about 5 min, until mussels open(discard any shellfish thta don't open). Remove pot from heat.
When clams and mussels are cool enough to handle, remove meat from shells. Discard shells and refrigerate meat. Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve, discarding solids and any grit. You need 3 cups of seafood broght; if necessary, topup with water.
Bouillabaisse
Heat a large pot over medium heat and add diced pancetta and olive oil. Cook, stirring often until pancetta is crisp.
Add onion, celery and fennel, cook stirring often for 10 min, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 min.
Add seafood broth,tomatoes,thyme,tomato paste and cayenne;bring to a simmer. Add potatoes; reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook for about 10 min until potatoes are almost tender. Add whitefish, clams and mussels. Cook covered for 5 min.
Remove pot from heat;let stand for 5 min until whitefish is opaque and firm.
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Ladle into bowls dividing fish and seafood evenly
Garnish with herbs