Bouillabaisse Of Nohu With Aioli Food

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the shrimp stock: In a large saucepan over high heat, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the shrimp shells and tails, onion, carrot and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, then add 10 cups of cold water, the tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally, for 40 minutes.
• Strain the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. The stock can be made 2 days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator, or frozen up to 3 months.
• For the tomato aioli: Combine the mayonnaise, anchovies, tomato powder, tomato paste, green onion, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the broth: Heat the oil in a large, high-sided saute pan over high heat and cook the fennel and onion until they begin to soften. Add the pastis and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, saffron, chile flakes and 2 cups of the shrimp stock. Bring to a boil, add the garlic and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add 4 more cups of shrimp stock, reduce the heat and cook until the flavors meld and the broth reduces slightly, about 20 minutes. Strain the shrimp-tomato broth into a large bowl, discard the solids, pour the liquid back into the high-sided saute pan and set aside.
• For the anchovy butter: Put the anchovies and butter in a bowl and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 20 minutes.
• For the seafood: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the scallops on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet.
• Add another tablespoon of the oil to the pan and season both sides of the halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Sear on one side until golden brown, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to the baking sheet with the scallops.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the large saute pan, season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sear until the shells become lightly golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of the reserved shrimp-tomato broth. Transfer the liquid to the remaining shrimp-tomato broth in the high-sided saute pan.
• Heat the shrimp-tomato broth over high heat. Add the mussels, cover and cook until they open, about 2 minutes. Remove the mussels to the baking sheet with a slotted spoon and discard any that did not open.
• Add the seared seafood and lobster tails to the shrimp-tomato broth, cover and let cook for 2 minutes.
• To serve: Add the anchovy butter to the broth and cook until thickened; stir in the parsley, tarragon and lemon zest. Top each baguette slice with a large dollop of tomato aioli and garnish with chives. Divide the seafood and broth among 6 large, slightly shallow soup bowls. Top each with a tomato aioli crouton and garnish with more parsley or tarragon or chives, if desired.

BOUILLABAISSE OF NOHU WITH "AIOLI"

Steps:

• Remove the fillet from the nohu, be sure to remove all the bones and slice the fish into 1-inch medallions. Reserve the scraps for the soup. In a soup pot, saute the fish scraps and the small popaa in the olive oil over high heat. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, bouquet garni, garlic cloves, water, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and saffron. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then simmer for 1 hour.
• Put the soup on low heat add the potatoes and poach for 5 minutes. Add the nohu medallions in the soup and poach for 5 more minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic puree with the egg yolks, salt and pepper. Add the oil very slowly and whip continuously to get a mayonnaise consistency.
• Serve the soup in individual soup plates with the fish medallions, the potatoes and the aioli, also called a "rouille", and croutons on the side.

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the broth: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp heads and shells and saute a few minutes until starting to brown. Add the celery, bay leaf, leeks, onions and peppercorns; stir for a couple of minutes. Add the herb bundle and cover with the stock, then add the saffron and bring to a simmer. Let bubble gently for about 30 minutes. Strain and reserve.
• For the spicy garlic aioli: Whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, Dijon and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the oil to emulsify. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• For the bouillabaisse: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium to large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the andouille and cook until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the garlic, celery, onions, fennel and bell peppers. Let sweat for 8 to 10 minutes, adding the tomatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the beer and bring to a simmer. Let reduce for a few minutes, then add 2 to 3 cups of the shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Add the redfish and shrimp and let cook through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crabmeat to heat through. Season with Old Bay and hot sauce and add the andouille back to the pot.
• To serve: Spread the aioli on the toasted baguette slices and divide among four shallow bowls. To each bowl, add three pieces of fish, three pieces of shrimp, some crab and some Andouille. Pour in some of the broth, making sure to include the vegetables in the broth. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Prepare fish Follow the instructions on pages 120-121 to fillet the fish (or have the fishmonger do this, giving you the head and bones); then skin the fillet (see note). You should end up with 3 to 4 pounds of fish fillets and 2 to 3 pounds of bones and heads. Cut the bones crosswise into 4-inch pieces and the fish into 2- to 3-inch pieces (make them uniform so they cook evenly). For the marinade, stir together 2 tablespoons Pernod, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; pour over the fish, turn the pieces to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours, turning the fish again halfway through. (Do not marinate longer than 3 hours or the texture of the fish will start to deteriorate.)
• Make stock Combine the fish bones and heads, leeks, celery, fennel, orange zest, tomatoes, remaining 2 tablespoons Pernod, wine, bay leaf, and the water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the liquid is at a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, skimming the foam from the surface with a ladle every so often. Strain the stock by pouring it through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, pressing on the solids with the ladle to extract as much liquid as possible from fish heads and bones (this will add body to the stock). Discard the solids, and strain the stock again (using clean cheesecloth) to remove any remaining solids, without pressing this time. Set the stock aside in a clean pot. Reserve 1/2 cup stock for rouille.
• Make rouille and croutons Ladle the reserved stock over the bread cubes and let soak for 10 minutes, then squeeze the bread with your hands (save the broth in case you need to thin the rouille). Puree garlic in a food processor or a blender, then add bread, saffron, cayenne, salt, and egg yolk, and puree until combined. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream, mixing until the sauce is emulsified. If it seems too thick-it should be spreadable like mayonnaise-you can thin it with some of the reserved stock. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the croutons lightly with oil, and toast until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Finish stew When you are about ready to serve, return the stock to the stove and add the saffron and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and cook at a rapid simmer for 10 minutes. Continue simmering until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the fish from the marinade to the pot. Cook over low heat (the stock should be at a gentle simmer) until the fish is just cooked through and opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Remove each piece of fish as soon as it is ready. Taste, and season broth with salt and pepper and a splash (or two) of Pernod, if desired.
• Serve Ladle broth and potatoes into bowls, and divide fish evenly among servings. Spread some of the croutons with rouille for floating on top, and serve the remaining croutons and rouille on the side. If desired, you can stir some rouille into the broth at the table.
• SKINNING A FILLET
• Lay fillet skin side down. Holding the tail of the fish in one hand, insert a slicing knife with a flexible blade between the skin and flesh. Keeping the knife at a 45-degree angle and cutting toward the skin, slice from tail to head to remove skin; you may need to move the knife from side to side slightly as you cut. You might also need to stop every now and then to get a firmer grip on the slippery skin (or hold with a paper towel).
• Bouillabaise Tips
• To make the stock ahead of time, wait to buy the fish you will use in the stew and ask your fishmonger for scraps of similar fish to use in the stock. Then freeze the stock in tightly sealed containers for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator before proceeding. Or make the stock as instructed (with the fish that will be served in the stew), let cool, and refrigerate overnight in a covered container.
• If you're making the stock ahead of time, you can also make the rouille (since it calls for some of the stock, or you could use water instead). Cover and refrigerate overnight, then let it come to room temperature before serving.
• Equipment
• You'll need to use a pot that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients, with about 3 inches to spare on top. (If you're not sure, pile the raw ingredients together in the pot before cooking.)
• To strain the stock, line a fine sieve with cheesecloth; you'll have to do this step twice, each time with clean cheesecloth. Or pass the stock mixture through a food mill fitted with a coarse disk, then through a cheesecloth-lined sieve.
• Ingredients
• It's not so important which type of fish you choose, but rather that the fish is as fresh as can be, and that you have a variety, anywhere from four to seven types. Preferably the variety will include contrasting tastes (mild and briny) and textures (firm and flaky). The ones listed here are suggestions; buy whatever is fresh at your local fish market.
• Traditional recipes for bouillabaisse do not contain any shellfish, but now many versions do. Cockles, which are similar to small clams, cherrystones, or littlenecks, would make a lovely addition, as would mussels.
• Pernod, an anise-flavored apéritif, reinforces the flavor of the fennel. Pastis is equally appropriate.