Bouillabaisse
serves 2-4
Bouillabase is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. It can include any variety of fish or shellfish in a rich broth. To serve this for a party, try making the broth in advance, and then asking each guest to bring 1/4 pound of their favorite seafood to share.
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
10 sprigs fresh parsley
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups low-sodium fish broth
1 pound cod (or another flaky, white fish), cut into chunks
24 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound medium sea scallops
3 tablespoons pastis
prep: 15 minutes
total: 50 minutes
large saucepan with a cover
tongs
ladle
1. Prep all the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, stir in the onions, fennel, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, zest and saffron. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft but not brown, 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prep the seafood.
3. Add the garlic to the saucepan and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, wine and broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and gently simmer 10 minutes.
4. Raise the heat back to medium and add the chunks of fish. Cover the pot and allow the fish to cook for 5 minutes. Next, add the mussels, shrimp, scallops and pastis. Cover everything and allow it to cook for 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure that all the seafood is done. Remove any mussels that haven't opened.
