MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
My dad makes bouillabaisse every year for our Christmas eve dinner. This year after doing a little research for the blog, I thought I would make a rouilleand fresh baked bread* to go with it! This dinner is something I look forward to all year.
My dad makes bouillabaisse every year for our Christmas eve dinner. This year after doing a little research for the blog, I thought I would make a rouille
Bouillabaisse, My dad's creation over the years, based on the NY Times Cookbook
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped into little cubes
1 medium red onion, chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 leek, cut into rounds
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp herbs de provence
2 1/2 tbsp cup fennel seeds, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup bottled clam juice (can use 2 and should have a second one on reserve if broth looks too thick)
1 cup dry white wine (can add more for broth purposes)
Pinch of saffron
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 small lobster, cut into pieces (optional)
12 mussels, well scrubbed and de-bearde
12 raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
12 scallops
1 pound white fish (i.e., cod or haddock)-- You can also sub in other kinds of fish. My dad adds salmon as well since we all love salmon in our family.
Preparation
Prepare ingredients: chop parsley, onion, celery, and peel and mince garlic.
In a large pot heat the oil and add onion, celery, leek, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic. Cook down for 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, but still crisp.
Add tomatoes, clam juice, wine, salt, pepper, saffron, fennel, herbs de provence and parsley. Simmer for 15 minutes (if broth reduces too much, add second bottle of clam juice).
Now, add seafood in the order of cooking length: first add mussels and cover broth with a lid. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until mussel shells have opened from steaming. Now, add shrimp and fish. Simmer for 3-5 more minutes and (steal a quarter cup of the broth for the rouille here) add scallops. Cook for 3 more minutes on a simmer. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy! Makes 6-8 servings.
Rouille
Ingredients 1/2 cup soft white bread crumbs
1/4 cup fish broth
1 fresh serrano chile
2 cloves garlic
20 threads saffron
1 large red bell pepper, charred, peeled and seeded
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 tsp Red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Preparation
Add the fish broth to the bread crumbs in a bowl.
In a mortar and pestle, grind the serrano chile, garlic and saffron to a paste. Add the red pepper and grind again, into a paste. Add the bread crumbs and continue to grind until the mixture resembles porridge. Add ground pepper, salt, vinegar and olive oil. Serve with crusty bread and fish stew!
A little background and history of Bouillabaisse:
Bouillabase is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from Marseille. What makes a bouillabaisse different from other fish soups is the selection of Provençal herbs and spices in the broth; the use of bony local Mediterranean fish; the way the fish are added one at a time, in a certain order, and brought to a boil; and the method of serving. In Marseille, the broth is served first in a bowl containing the bread and rouille, with the seafood and vegetables served separately in another bowl or on a platter.
In Marseille, bouillabaisse is rarely made for fewer than ten persons; the more people who share the meal, and the more different fish that are included, the better the bouillabaisse. For our family, it’s our Chrsitmas Eve tradition, usually served for 12 of our closest family friends!
In Marseille, bouillabaisse is rarely made for fewer than ten persons; the more people who share the meal, and the more different fish that are included, the better the bouillabaisse. For our family, it’s our Chrsitmas Eve tradition, usually served for 12 of our closest family friends!
