Bouillabaisse

By Janet-2

Provençal bouillabaisse starts with good olive oil, onions, garlic, fennel, tomatoes, saffron, and a bouquet garni. The other potential ingredients—leeks, potatoes, orange peel, pastis (the anise-flavored Provençal apéritif), even shellfish—are the subject of heated debate. Even the choice of fish is disputed. Most local cooks insist on rascasse, but after that, everyone seems to have his own strong opinion. About the only thing commonly agreed upon is that the seafood used must be Mediterranean.

It's fairly certain that whoever cooked the first bouillabaisse did so in a big pot over a hot fire—hence its name, which derives from the words bouillir, to boil, and abaisser, to lower. All authentic bouillabaisse recipes call for the ingredients to be brought to a quick and rapid boil (a "true tempest of fire", as one recipe puts it). This causes the oil, stock, and fish gelatin in the pot to emulsify into a rich, satisfying broth. The quality of the broth is essential to the dish if it is to be presented in the time-honored manner, in two courses—first the soup, poured over croutons topped with rouille, then the fish and, if they're included in the recipe, potatoes. (Elegant restaurants may present a third course of langouste, or spiny lobster, if they're part of the recipe.)

soft-fleshed varieties—rouquier (wrasse) and mostelle (forkbeard), which would disintegrate during cooking and enrich the soup—and then the firmer ones: saint-pierre (john dory), congre (conger eel), vive (weever), and, of course, rascasse (scorpion fish), all of which would be served whole. Some say that using both soft and firm fish makes a better bouillabaisse

Ingredients

• For the soup:
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds fish scraps (heads and bones from white fish and flatfish) or whole fish, cleaned; see headnote
• 2 small (5 to 8 ounces total) fennel bulbs (tough outer layers and cores discarded), coarsely chopped
• 2 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 or 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups store-bought fish stock
• 2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added chopped tomatoes, plus their juices
• Pinch saffron threads
• 2 to 3 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• Salt
• 3 to 4 pounds skin-on or skinless mixed white fish (see headnote)
• For the rouille:
• 1 or 2 fresh or dried red thai chili peppers, stemmed and seeded (if using fresh)
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• 3 to 4 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup store-bought fish stock, plus more as needed

Preparation

Step 1

For the soup: Heat a little of the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers.

Add the fish scraps, fennel, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until fragrant. Then add the stock, the tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, using a spatula to press against the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return the strained broth to the pot over medium-high heat. Pick the larger pieces of fish off the bones caught in the strainer and add the fish to the pot. (These pieces will more or less disintegrate and help thicken the soup.)

If desired, transfer the strained solids to a blender or food processor and pulse to chop; do not puree. Return to the strainer and press the chopped solids to release more liquid, which can be added to the pot.

Add the saffron, paprika, chili powder, if desired, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then add the fish and the remaining oil; cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to form a rich soup. Season with salt to taste.

While the soup is cooking, make the rouille: If the chili peppers are dried, soak them in a little water for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the chili peppers and garlic together to form a smooth paste.

Gradually add the bread crumbs and give them a good pounding.

Add the oil and then the fish stock little by little while you continue to pound, until you have a smooth, thick paste. Leave for a few minutes, then taste and adjust as necessary (for flavor or consistency); depending on the bread crumbs and how much they absorb, you may add broth or bread crumbs.

Divide the soup among individual bowls, with a dollop of the rouille placed in the center of each portion. Serve immediately.