BOUILLABAISSE (SOUP DE POISSON)

BOUILLABAISSE (SOUP DE POISSON) image

Categories Soup/Stew Fish Shellfish Vegetable Stew Thyme

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 26

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of fennel seed
3 bay leaves
several grinds of black pepper
ten sprigs of parsley, not chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 or 3 large onions, chopped in bite-sized pieces
10 cloves of garlic, crushed
2/3 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seed, or a small bulb of fennel, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons thyme
3 strips of peel from an orange, about 1/2" X 3", orange part only, no white flesh
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon saffron
2 teaspoons harissa sauce
one egg yolk
about 2/3 cup of olive oil.
2 or 3 cloves of crushed garlic
1 pound shrimp
1 pound scallops
1 pound seabass
2 dozen clams or mussels, or 1/2 pound of another fish
1/2 pound of gruyere cheese

Steps:

The broth: Start with the shells from the shrimp and whatever bones, heads, fins and skin you can come by. A yellowtail collar is a fine contribution, too, although the fillet of this fish is not the best suited to this soup. Wash everything in copious running water, then cover with two quarts of water and add: 1 teaspoon of fennel seed 3 bay leaves several grinds of black pepper ten sprigs of parsley, not chopped 1 teaspoon salt and boil it all together gently for 30 minutes. Strain this broth and discard everything but the broth. Then prepare the vegetable body of the soup: 2 or 3 large onions, chopped in bite-sized pieces 10 cloves of garlic, crushed 2/3 cup of olive oil 1 teaspoon fennel seed, or a small bulb of fennel, chopped � cup parsley, chopped fine 1 teaspoon salt Fry all of this together over medium heat in a large pot until the onions are well wilted and the garlic is cooked a bit. Then add: 1 large can crushed tomatoes 2 teaspoons thyme 3 strips of peel from an orange, about �" X 3", orange part only, no white flesh 3 bay leaves 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon saffron 2 teaspoons harissa sauce and simmer about 20 minutes. Then add the fish broth prepared earlier, and one pound of inexpensive fish fillets�frozen cod is fine. and cook until the fish is done. Then remove the bay leaves and orange peel (but save them), puree the soup in batches (blender gives the best result) and return the soup and the bay leaves and orange peel to the pot to simmer another 30 to 45 minutes. The pureed soup will be a light orange color, but it will develop into a fine colorado red as it simmers, and the flavor will develop also. After 30 minutes or so, taste the soup and correct the seasoning for salt, pepper, and harissa. To this point you can prepare the soup ahead. Freeze it if you are not going to use it within 24 hours.