Bouillabaisse Recipe 45

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Make croutons:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.
• Arrange bread slices in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and brush both sides with oil. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast with a cut side of garlic.
• Make soup:
• Plunge lobster headfirst into a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling water, then cook, covered, 2 minutes from time lobster enters water. Transfer lobster with tongs to a colander and let stand until cool enough to handle. Discard hot water in pot. Put lobster in a shallow baking pan. Twist off claws with knuckles from body, then crack claws with a mallet or rolling pin and separate claws from knuckles. Halve body and tail lengthwise through shell with kitchen shears, then cut crosswise through shell into 2-inch pieces. Reserve lobster juices that accumulate in baking pan.
• Cook tomatoes, onion, and garlic in oil in cleaned 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir potatoes into tomatoes with fennel fronds, bay leaf, saffron, sea salt, and pepper. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add thicker pieces of fish and cockles to soup and simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in mussels, shrimp, lobster, including juices, and remaining fish and simmer, covered, until they are just cooked through and mussels open wide, about 5 minutes.
• Stir 3 tablespoons broth from soup into rouille until blended.
• Arrange 2 croutons in each of 6 to 8 deep soup bowls. Carefully transfer fish and shellfish from soup to croutons with a slotted spoon, then ladle some broth with vegetables over seafood.
• Top each serving with 1 teaspoon rouille and serve remainder on the side.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Make the rouille: Puree the mayonnaise, roasted red peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Prepare the bouillabaisse: Grate the tomato flesh on the large holes of a box grater down to the skins; reserve the skins separately. Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells and tails for the broth; clean and debeard the mussels. Refrigerate the seafood until ready to use.
• Make the broth: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp shells and tails and cook, stirring, until bright red, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the clam juice, 4 cups water, the reserved tomato skins, the orange zest and 1/4 cup of the sliced fennel. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 4 cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract the liquid; reserve the broth.
• Wipe out the pot and heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining fennel, the shallot, garlic and a pinch of salt; partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved grated tomato flesh and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the saffron, then add the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about two-thirds, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved broth and return to a simmer.
• Add the mussels to the pot; cover and cook 4 minutes. Add any thick pieces of fish and cook, covered, 2 minutes. Add the remaining fish and the shrimp and cook, covered, until the mussels open and the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 more minutes. (Discard any mussels that do not open.) Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread the baguette with the rouille and serve with the bouillabaisse. Sprinkle with parsley.

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the broth: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp heads and shells and saute a few minutes until starting to brown. Add the celery, bay leaf, leeks, onions and peppercorns; stir for a couple of minutes. Add the herb bundle and cover with the stock, then add the saffron and bring to a simmer. Let bubble gently for about 30 minutes. Strain and reserve.
• For the spicy garlic aioli: Whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, Dijon and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the oil to emulsify. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• For the bouillabaisse: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium to large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the andouille and cook until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the garlic, celery, onions, fennel and bell peppers. Let sweat for 8 to 10 minutes, adding the tomatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the beer and bring to a simmer. Let reduce for a few minutes, then add 2 to 3 cups of the shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Add the redfish and shrimp and let cook through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crabmeat to heat through. Season with Old Bay and hot sauce and add the andouille back to the pot.
• To serve: Spread the aioli on the toasted baguette slices and divide among four shallow bowls. To each bowl, add three pieces of fish, three pieces of shrimp, some crab and some Andouille. Pour in some of the broth, making sure to include the vegetables in the broth. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.