Name: Bouillabaisse French Fish Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: About 6 servings estimated; seafood quantities and total yield are not stated by source
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: Cleaned fish bones and head from fishmonger, for stock; Fennel, leek, celery, carrots, onion and garlic (quantities not specified); About 1.5 cans chopped tomatoes for stock (can size not specified); White wine, such as Chardonnay (video uses about one bottle); Saffron infusion or turmeric; Olive oil; Chopped tomatoes for soup base (quantity not specified); Sea scallops (chef suggests about one per person); Halibut and grouper or other firm fish, cut into bite-sized pieces (quantities not specified); Red snapper, cut into bite-sized pieces (quantity not specified); Mussels (quantity not specified); Shrimp, optional (quantity not specified); Salt and black pepper, to taste; Parsley and fennel fronds; Crostini, to serve; For rouille: garlic, Dijon mustard, egg yolks, olive oil, roasted bell pepper, saffron and bread; exact amounts not specified; harissa optional

Method

8 steps

Make the fish stock: ask the fishmonger for cleaned fish bones and a fish head. Put them in a large pot with fennel, leek, celery, carrot, onion, garlic and about 1.5 cans of tomatoes. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for about 45 minutes. Strain; do not salt the stock.
Make the rouille: blend garlic, Dijon mustard and egg yolks, then slowly stream in olive oil to form an emulsion. Blend in roasted bell pepper, saffron and bread until thick and spreadable. Add a little harissa if desired. Serve on toast or crostini. The source gives no exact quantities.
For the soup base, sauté chopped onion in olive oil until caramelized. Add finely diced fennel and leek and cook until softened. Add saffron infusion and white wine; reduce.
Add chopped tomatoes and strained fish stock. Season with salt and black pepper and bring to a simmer. The stock base can be made ahead.
When ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil. Add scallops first, then halibut and grouper, followed by red snapper. Add parsley and cook gently, taking care not to overcook the fish.
Add mussels and cook until they open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
Add shrimp near the end and cook just until pink.
Serve the fish and broth hot with rouille-topped crostini and fennel fronds.

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