Bouillabaisse
User Reviews
4.9
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
35 mins
-
Additional Time
3 hrs 20 mins
-
Total Time
4 hrs 10 mins
-
Servings
4 servings
-
Cuisine
French
Bouillabaisse
Description
This Bouillabaisse recipe starts by preparing a broth with snow crab legs, lobster shells, garlic, chipotle pepper sauce, saffron, herbs de Provence, fennel seeds, white wine, pastis, and water. The broth is brought to a boil, simmered, then left to infuse, resulting in a clear saffron-colored seafood base. Crab legs are reserved for another use.
The fish and seafood are marinated with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, fennel bulb, and peeled blanched potatoes for several hours or ideally overnight to allow flavors to meld. This step enhances the aroma and softness of the ingredients.
The accompanying rouille sauce is made by mashing garlic and saffron into a paste, mixing in cooked potato, then stirring in egg yolks and slowly incorporating olive oil and lemon juice to form a thick, mayonnaise-like emulsion. The addition of garlic pepper sauce provides a mild heat. This rich sauce complements the brothy seafood stew with its vibrant flavors and creamy texture.
Bouillabaisse yields a layered dish combining the delicate textures of fish and shellfish with an aromatic saffron broth and the pungent, creamy rouille. It can be served ladled over stale baguette slices or alongside for dipping, creating a full and satisfying meal reflecting Mediterranean coastal cooking.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sea bass cut in 12 small portions
- 3 pounds red snapper cut in 12 small portions
- 12 crab legs snow
- 12 lobster tail tiny, Florida
- olive oil extra virgin
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 fennel bulb
- 1 pound potato peeled, turned and blanched
- baguette stale
- 2 garlic clove
- 1/2 lemon juice only
- 3 tablespoons chipotle pepper sauce Tabasco brand
- 1 tablespoon saffron
- 2 cups white wine dry
- 3.5 quarts water
- 1/2 teaspoon herbes de provence
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 cup pastis or any other Mediterranean, anise based liquor
ROUILLE
- 1 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 egg yolk
- 2 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 potato cooked and peeled, small
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 6 tablespoons garlic pepper sauce Tabasco brand
Instructions
Broth:
- Make a broth with the snow crab legs, lobster shell, garlic, Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce, saffron, salt, wine, COLD water, Provence herbs, fennel seeds and Pastis. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let infuse the flavors 20 minutes. You should end up with 4 quarts of clear, saffron color broth. Reserve the crab legs for future use.
Bouillabaisse:
- Toss all the fish, lobster, fennel and potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper, and garlic. Marinate for 3 hours (ideally overnight).
Rouille:
- In a mortar, mash garlic and saffron with a pestle until you obtain a paste. Add the cooked potato and mash. Add and beat the eggs until very thick and lemon colored. Add salt.
- Beating constantly, add olive oil VERY SLOWLY — literally drop by drop. After about half the oil has been added and the mixture is thickening, add lemon juice. Then continue adding olive oil slowly, beating until a thick emulsion (mayonnaise texture) is formed. At the end, add Tabasco garlic pepper sauce.
Assembly:
- Make crostini with stale baguette. Put the broth in a large sautoir and simmer gently. Delicately add the fish and lobster, fennel, potatoes and poach for about 10 minutes, depending on firmness of fish. Add crab legs at the end to reheat. Serve at once in a large soup bowl. Decorate with sprig of fennel, and a crostini with rouille.
Notes
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
You'll Also Love
