Bouillabaisse Burgers With Tomato Fennel Relish And Saffron Mayonnaise Food

MARK BITTMAN'S BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees; brush bread liberally with olive oil, and bake on a sheet, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Add enough olive oil to a Dutch oven, deep skillet or shallow pot to make a thick layer (don't skimp) on the bottom. In it, cook onion, garlic, celery, carrot, potato, fennel and saffron until glossy. Add stock and tomato and bring to a moderate boil; cook until thick and stewy rather than soupy. Season to taste; it should be so delicious that you don't even care whether you add fish.
• Lower heat to a simmer, and, as you add fish, adjust heat so that the liquid continues to bubble gently. Add fish in order of how long they will take to cook. Monkfish, striped bass and squid are fish that might require more than a few minutes, so add them first. About five minutes later add clams and mussels, holding back any fish that has been cooked or will cook in a flash. When mollusks open, add remaining fish. Cut scallops into quarters and place in the bottom of 4 bowls.
• Add pastis if you're using it; taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle hot soup and fish over the scallops, distributing clams and mussels evenly. Garnish and serve with croutons and rouille, if you're using.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• To make the croutons heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the slices of bread on a flat baking tray in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 mins until golden and crisp. Set aside - can be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
• Use a layer of the green part of the leek to wrap around and make a herb bundle with the thyme, bay, parsley stalks, orange peel and chilli. Tie everything together with kitchen string and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a very large casserole dish or stock pot and throw in the onion, sliced leek and fennel and cook for about 10 mins until softened. Stir through the garlic and cook for 2 mins more, then add the herb bundle, tomato purée, star anise, Pernod if using, chopped tomatoes and saffron. Simmer and stir for a minute or two then pour over the fish stock. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, then add the piece of potato. Bubble everything gently for 30 mins until you have a thin tomatoey soup. When that piece of potato is on the brink of collapse, fish it out and set aside to make the rouille.
• While the broth is simmering make the rouille by crushing the garlic, chilli and saffron with a pinch of salt in a mortar with a pestle. Mash in the cooked potato to make a sticky paste then whisk in the egg yolk and, very gradually, the olive oil until you make a mayonnaise-like sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
• Once the chunky tomato broth has cooked you have two options: for a rustic bouillabaisse, simply poach your fish in it along with the mussels, if you're using (just until they open) and serve. For a refined version, remove the herb bundle and star anise. Using a handheld or table-top blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve into a large, clean pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Starting with the densest fish, add the chunks to the broth and cook for 1 min before adding the next type. With the fish we used, the order was: monkfish, John Dory, grey mullet, snapper. When all the fish is in, scatter over the mussels, if using, and simmer everything for about 5 mins until just cooked and the mussels have opened.
• Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop the fish and mussels out onto a warmed serving platter, moisten with just a little broth and scatter over the chopped parsley. Bring everything to the table. Some people eat it as two courses, serving the broth with croutons and rouille first, then the fish spooned into the same bowl. Others simply serve it as a fish stew. Whichever way you choose the rouille is there to be stirred into the broth to thicken and give it a kick.

BOUILLABAISSE BURGERS WITH TOMATO-FENNEL RELISH AND SAFFRON MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• For the relish:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill until needed.
• For the mayonnaise:
• Combine the saffron threads and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside to soak for 20 minutes to l hour.
• Transfer the soaked saffron to a blender. Add the mayonnaise and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.
• For the patties:
• Spread the red snapper and shrimp evenly over the bottom of a large glass baking dish. Wearing kitchen gloves, or using a fork, gently mix in the egg whites, thyme, salt and pepper; combine together well. Mix in enough panko to bind the ingredients together and form into 6 equal patties to fit the slices of bread. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed, at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
• When the grill is ready, generously brush the grill rack with canola oil. Lightly brush both sides of each slice of bread with olive oil. Place the bread slices on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast lightly, turning once with tongs; set aside. Place the patties on the
• middle of the grill rack, cover, and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, turning once with a large spatula, until the patties are just cooked through; do not overcook.
• To assemble the burgers, spread about l tablespoon of the mayonnaise evenly over 1 side of each toast. Place a patty on 6 of the mayonnaise-coated toasts. Using a slotted spoon, evenly top each patty with the tomato-fennel relish. Add the toast tops, mayonnaise side down.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Cut the cleaned fish fillets into medium sized pieces. In a large non-reactive bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Add the pieces of fish and whole shrimp so that all the seafood is coated with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• For the Stock/Fumet: In a large stockpot over low-medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Saute the leek, onion, garlic, and fennel for 5 minutes until tender. Deglaze with Pernod, cooking for 5 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Place the bouquet garni in the stockpot tied to the handle for easy removal. Add the cold water, wine, canned tomatoes and fish parts. Season with saffron and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring to mingle flavors. Allow the stock to slowly simmer. Skim and discard the fish foam that rises to the surface. Do not boil! If the stock boils, these impurities will be incorporated into the liquid. Simmer for 15 minutes, turn off heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Pass the fumet through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.
• For the Broth: Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, parsley and orange zest. Add the clams, mussels, Pernod and wine. Steam open, about 2 minutes. Stir in fennel, leek, tomatoes, bay leaf and fumet. Season with saffron, salt and pepper, Add the fish pieces to the broth. Simmer for 3 minutes until the fish is opaque. Add tomato paste and adjust seasonings.
• For the Rouille: Broil the tomato and bell pepper, turning to blacken all sides. Place the roasted pepper in a paper bag, close it, and let it "sweat" for 5 minutes so it is easier to peel the skin. Remove from bag, peel the skin and discard the seeds and stem. Peel and cut the tomato, squeeze out the seeds. In a food processor, puree the potato, roasted pepper, tomato, mayonnaise, fumet, garlic, saffron and cayenne. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• For the Croutons: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush the baguette slices with olive oil and bake on a cookie sheet until crisp. Set aside.
• Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls. Spoon the rouille over the croutons and place in bowl. Garnish with parsley and basil.

PINK SHRIMP CROSTINI, BOUILLABAISSE RELISH AND SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add the chives and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Place a spoonful of the Bouillabaisse Sauce on a plate. Place a piece of baguette on top of the sauce, and then a large spoonful of the cooked shrimp. Top with the Bouillabaisse Relish. Finish with a spoonful of the Saffron Aioli.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, for about 10 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, peppers and thyme. Continue to cook and stir for 8 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Then add the fish stock. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Add the fish and decrease the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the basil and Espelette, then turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Place the sauce into a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the carrot, celery, fennel and onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• In small saucepan, heat the saffron threads and 1 tablespoon water to a boil and set aside to cool. Put the garlic in a small bowl with the egg and some pepper and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, in drops at first and increasing the amount added as the sauce thickens. Add the lemon juice, saffron water and season with salt and pepper.