Seattle Style Bouillabaisse Food

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Thoroughly clean clams and mussels by scrubbing with a stiff brush. Remove any grit on the shells to keep it from getting into the soup, and pull off the fuzzy "beard". Any open shells that don't snap shut when you touch them should be discarded.
• You also need to scrub then soak your clams in salt water about 20 minutes to get them to spit the sand out.
• Cut your fish into bite-sized pieces using a sharp knife.
• Dice the onion and carrot into ¼" pieces, thinly slice 1 cup of fennel bulb, and finely mince 2 shallots and 6 cloves of garlic.
• Chop your parsley and zest your orange.
• Heat a large heavy pot on medium low heat and add olive oil.
• Once the oil is shimmering, sauté the prepared onions, shallot, carrot, fennel, and garlic until lightly golden and softened.
• Add in seafood stock, diced tomatoes with liquid, wine (optional), the strip of orange zest, thyme, parsley, tomato paste, salt, basil, saffron threads (crush between your fingers before adding), and a few turns of the pepper grinder.
• Bring the bouillabaisse liquid to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer (low bubble) and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add seafood (add squid last if using) and stir to combine. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the shells are opened on the clams and mussels.
• Remove the thyme stems, and orange zest strip, then add additional salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle steaming hot into bowls and top with additional fresh herbs for garnish.
• Pair the stew with crusty bread for dipping in that lovely broth and a fresh French salad.

BOUILLABAISSE WITH ROUILLE

Steps:

• For the stock:
• Add all ingredients into a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the stock, and cool in an ice water bath. Whatever is not used that day should be refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• For the bouillabaisse:
• In another large, wide and shallow pan, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and fennel, cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the Pernod, and add the tomatoes, fish stock, seaweed, hot Italian peppers, crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper. Add the lobster meat and cook for 3 minutes, covering the pot with aluminum foil or lid. Then add the rest of the seafood and cook, covered for about 6 minutes until the clams and mussels have opened.
• For the rouille:
• In a food processor, combine the roasted red pepper, garlic, bread, egg yolk, Dijon, lemon juice and salt and pepper. While the food processor is still on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
• Serve the Bouillabaisse in bowls with the toasted bread and Rouille on the side.

CHICKEN STEW A LA BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large casserole. Saute the onions in the olive oil for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add tomatoes, broth, wine, garlic, bouquet garni and saffron. Bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, carrots and chicken, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup back to a simmer, cover the pan and simmer gently just until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, about 45 minutes.
• While this is cooking through, make the rouille which accompanies it.
• Note that potatoes freeze badly. If you are making this in a double batch in advance and want to freeze it, make it without the potatoes and simmer broth for 40 minutes only or until carrots are tender and chicken is done. If you are serving half the recipe that night, cook some potatoes separately and add them to the soup later. Freeze leftovers and on day of reheating it, cook potatoes separately and add to a broth after it is reheated.

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.