DESCRIPTION
This recipe makes extra Rouille, the garlicky mayonnaise sauce that is traditionally served with Bouillabaisse. The reason there’s extra is because you’re definitely going to want to slather extra pieces of bread in it. And maybe even drizzle some straight into your soup.
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this seafood soup, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
[sc name="bouillabaseworkshopthxrotd"][/sc]Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups water
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz.) jar clam juice
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small fennel bulb (with fronds for garnish)
- 1 leek
- 6 cloves garlic
- Saffron (you’ll need about 2 big pinches)
- Orange (for zesting)
- Salt
- 1 (4 oz.) jar pimientos
- 1 tsp. dry basil leaves
- 2–3 drops tabasco
- Black pepper
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 haddock loins
- 12 mussels
- Half of a baguette
Instructions
- Measure the water into a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the diced tomatoes and clam juice. Microwave for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat. Core and chop the fennel bulb (save some of the fronds from the tops to use as garnish). Add the chopped fennel bulb to the oil. Stir and cover.
- Trim the leek, split it in half lengthwise and then split each half in half. Chop it and put it all into a colander. Rinse well under cold water. Shake the colander to remove excess water and then add the leek to the fennel. Stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Peel and mince the garlic. Add half of it to the fennel and leek and set the other half aside. Add the hot liquid from the microwave and increase heat to high. Add two big pinches of saffron. Zest about 1 teaspoon of orange zest into the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover.
- When it comes to a boil, add the whole haddock loins and the mussels.
- As you wait for the soup to boil and then as the fish cooks, make your rouille sauce: Put the remaining half of the garlic in the food processor. Drain the jar of pimientos and add them to the garlic along with the basil, tabasco, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree to chop everything finely. Add ¼–½ cup of the mayonnaise and puree until smooth. Transfer sauce to a medium bowl. Add the remaining mayonnaise and stir until combined.
- Slice the baguette.
- Once the mussels are opened and the fish is cooked through, gently cut each piece of fish into two pieces.
- Serve the fish, mussels, and broth in bowls topped with a slice of bread drizzled with rouille. Garnish with fennel fronds if desired.