I Love Paris in the Springtime...

Spring is finally here! Or is it? The recent views out my window of snow-covered trees, lawn and newly-emerging daffodils certainly seem to contradict this fact.

Inside my kitchen, however, I am feeling the warmth of the sun. Day-dreaming of France, I'm wishing I was there soaking in the sun, the sights, the smells and the tastes of this country of gastronomic delights.

A memory haunts me from my Gallic travels of a wonderful soup with the fresh and intense flavors of the sea: fish, clams and mussels swimming in a rich saffron broth of wine, tomatoes and fennel, topped with a toasted crouton smothered in a garlicky aioli to soak up all the juices – bouillabaisse is on the menu for tonight!

Bouillabaisse is a fish soup which hails from the south of France. It usually consists of several varieties of fish and shellfish, served in a traditional broth of fish stock, fennel, saffron, orange, tomato and garlic. Grilled or toasted bread is served with the soup, along with aioli, which is a homemade mayonnaise prepared with garlic and Dijon mustard.

This fish soup is actually quite easy to prepare. You can make the aioli and broth a day or two before serving, so it can be a great dish for a dinner party allowing you time to spend with your guests. You need only 10-15 minutes to finish the soup before serving.  

I found lovely littleneck clams, mussels, and fresh Tilapia at Mt. Kisco Seafood on Lexington Avenue in Mt. Kisco. Monk fish would also be nice. You can try whatever variety of seafood which you prefer, though try to keep the fish on the mild side in order to not clash with the flavor profile of the broth.  Want to dress up the soup?  Consider adding lobster or scallops to the mix. 

To make this a more hearty meal, I like to add red potatoes to my bouillabaisse.  Though certainly not traditional, I enjoy the addition of sweet corn and fresh tomatoes in the summertime.

So disregard the weather outside… take a virtual trip to France this week through the warm flavors of bouillabaisse and bring a bit of the “soleil de la mer” to your own table.

Bouillabaisse

 Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

3 8 oz. bottles of clam juice or 3 ½ cups fish stock

1 cup water

1 cup dry white wine

1 bay leaf

1 pinch saffron

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig parsley

8 peppercorns

1 clove garlic

1 fennel frond (the leafy top part of fennel)

3 inches leek leaf (the dark green part of leek)

1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes or 4-5 fresh plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium leeks, halved lengthwise, rinsed and then sliced into ½ inch pieces (only white and light green part of leek)

1 medium fennel bulb, medium dice

3 medium red potatoes, medium dice

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon orange zest

½ cup dry white wine

12-15 littleneck clams, cleaned & soaked in cold water to remove the sand

1 pound mussels, cleaned & soaked, with beards removed

1 pound mild white fish, such as tilapia, halibut or monk fish, deboned & cut into 2-3 inch pieces

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Instructions for bouillabaisse:

Place the clam juice, water, wine, bay leaf, saffron, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, garlic clove, fennel frond and leek leaf in a sauce pan.  Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve this broth.  

Drain the tomatoes and rinse.  Chop into large dice and reserve.

In a medium sized stock pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, fennel, potato and garlic. Sweat the vegetable, or that is, cook them, stirring occasionally until the leek is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the wine and allow it to reduce until almost dry, about 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved broth. Add the salt, pepper and orange zest. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  At this point, you can stop and reserve the broth 1-2 days before serving if  you cool down the broth, then cover tightly and refrigerate.

When the broth and vegetables have come to a boil, you can add the fish fillets to the broth, gently immersing them in the liquid.  Add the clams and mussels to the pot 4-5 minutes after adding the fish. Cover the pot and cook the seafood 5 more minutes; 9-10 minutes total cooking time for the seafood.

Smother the toasted bread with aioli and set aside.  Fill large bowls with the fish stew and place the toasted bread on top of the stew.  Voilá!

 Toasted Crostini:

A  good quality crusty bread, sliced

Olive oil

1 garlic clove, cut in half

Instruction for crostini: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the bread slices on a heavy sheet pan.  Rub the sliced garlic clove on the bread and drizzle olive oil on top.  Toast the bread in the oven for 8-10 minutes.  Try to do this right before serving the soup so the bread is nice and warm.

Aioli:

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 large farm fresh egg

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

 Instructions for aioli: In a food processor or blender, mix the garlic, mustard, egg, lemon juice and salt together until combined.  With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until completely combined.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Refrigerate until needed.  Can be kept up to 3 days covered and refrigerated.

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