Fish & Fennel Bouillabaisse

Before the people of Marseille begin rioting, I am not claiming this is the ultimate, classic version of bouillabaisse. The famous dish was traditionally a simply stew created by Marseillaise fisherman, in the south of France, to use up fish they could not sell. It has since become the a star dish in many top restaurants where they make it using a fish stock created by simmering various fish, shellfish & fish bones in a large pot. The contents of the pot are then blended & passed through a sieve lined with muslin cloth. But since I highly doubt the humble fishermen of Marseille went to such lengths after a long day or night at sea, I wanted to create a simpler version of the stew; one that can be whipped together on weeknights without too much fuss. In this instance I used haddock but you can use any firm white fish or even a combination of white fish & shellfish of your liking. Serve this beautiful stew with a drizzle of rouille over the top & croutons or fresh sliced baguette on the side.

4 Servings

Ingredients:

5 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 large fennel, finely sliced (roughly 300gr)

6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

25cl white wine

4 tomatoes, blanched, peeled or chopped (can be replaced by 1 x 400gr of chopped tomatoes)

500gr potatoes, sliced into 0.5cm slices

400cl of fish stock or better yet, fumet de poisson (a shellfish & fish stock from France)

1gr powdered saffron

S&P

500gr haddock, cut into bite sized pieces

For the Rouille:

5 tbsp mayonnaise

1 garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp of the sauce from the stew

1/4 lemon juice

To serve:

Croutons or sliced baguette

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over low heat.

Add the onions & simmer 3 minutes, stirring regularly until they are golden.

Add the fennel & garlic & simmer a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly until the fennel begins to soften.

Raise the heat to high & add the wine. Allow of boil off for 3-5 minutes to remove the alcohol.

Once the wine has reduced by half, drop the flame to low heat & add the tomatoes & potatoes.

Stir well before adding the fish stock, saffron, S&P. Be careful not to add too much salt as it may not need much depending on what stock you are using. You can always add more at the end, if needed.

Stir well & bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover with a lid & allow to cook until the potato slices are 2 minutes from being fully cooked.

During this time, combine the ingredients for the rouille & set aside.

Slice the bread or cut it into cubes & bake 5-10 minutes at 220c with a drizzle of olive oil, S&P, to create homemade croutons.

Add the fish, stirring gently to bury the fish in the stock & under the potatoes to keep them under.

Cover with a lid & simmer 2-3 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Serve the bouillabaisse with a drizzle of rouille over the top & croutons or sliced baguette.