Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

• 3 ½ to 4 pounds mixed fish fillets (John Dory, red mullet, red snapper, porgy, pompano, striped bass, monkfish, grouper, hake), cut into 3-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon pastis (Ricard or Pernod)
• 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons saffron threads, crumbled
• ¾ cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 quarts Fish Stock for Bouillabaisse (see recipe), plus a few tablespoons for rouille
• 2 pounds (about 3 large) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• Cayenne pepper
• 4 to 5 cloves peeled garlic
• 1 small hunk country bread, crust removed
• 1 baguette or loaf of country bread, cut into slices and dried in oven

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

    663 calories; 28 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 59 grams protein; 110 milligrams cholesterol; 1406 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
  Powered by DiningAndCooking.com

8 to 10 servings

Preparation

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine fish, pastis, two pinches of saffron and 1/2 cup olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and mix well without breaking up fish. Cover, and refrigerate for at least three hours.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, combine fish stock and remaining saffron. Place over high heat, and bring to a rapid boil. Add potatoes, and cook for 7 minutes. Add largest, firmest pieces of fish from the bowl, and cook for 2 minutes. Add remaining pieces of fish, and continue to boil until potatoes are tender, about 10 more minutes. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.
3. Prepare the rouille: Crush 2 to 3 cloves garlic, and use a mortar and pestle to mash with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Dunk hunk of bread into 2 to 3 tablespoons hot fish stock, squeeze out liquid, and add to mortar. Mash well.
4. Take 2 to 3 slices potato from Bouillabaisse, and mash with pestle into a thick paste. Gradually add remaining olive oil, drop by drop, mashing mixture in a circular motion until thick and smooth. (If mixture breaks up, add a teaspoon or two of hot fish stock or a little more soup-soaked bread.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To serve, remove fish and potatoes from soup, and arrange on a large serving platter. Ladle some soup over fish, and keep warm. Rub slices of bread with 2 cloves garlic, and place in a dish on the table along with bowl of rouille. Have diners dab croutons with rouille and place them in soup plates. Ladle soup over croutons, and place a serving of fish and potatoes into each plate.