Like many culinary classics, this dish (pronounced booyahbase) started out humbly. Once a cheap meal for hungry French fishermen, now it’s considered a feast fit for a king.
Ingredients
- 2 baby fennel
- 60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 leeks, white part only, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon firmly packed saffron threads
- 1.75L (7 cups) fish stock (see related recipe)
- 1kg ripe tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 Masterfoods Bay Leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1/2 orange, peeled into strips
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 60ml (1/4 cup) Pernod (see note)
- 2 x 600g whole john dory fish, (see note) filleted, halved lengthwise
- 2 x 700g whole flathead fish, (see note) filleted, cut into 6cm pieces
- 16 large green king prawns, peeled with tails intact, cleaned
- 4 scampi, halved lengthwise
- 400g black mussels, scrubbed, bearded
- 400g clams (vongole), soaked in cold water for 15 minutes
- Thinly sliced baguette, (brushed with oil and toasted), to serve
- Rouille (see related recipe), to serve
Method
- Step 1Trim fennel tops, reserving trimmings for stock and fronds for serving, and chop fennel finely. Heat oil in a large saucepan or casserole over medium heat. Add fennel, onion, celery, garlic, leeks and fennel seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables soften.
- Step 2Meanwhile, combine saffron and 125ml (1/2 cup) fish stock in a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to steep.
- Step 3Peel tomatoes, remove seeds and discard, then chop finely. Add tomato paste to vegetables in pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the saffron mixture, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, orange peel and the remaining stock to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Season generously with salt. Stir in cayenne and Pernod. Reserve 2 tablespoons broth for rouille (see related recipe).
- Step 4Add the fish to the pan, then prawns and scampi, making sure the seafood is submerged in the liquid. Cook for 5 minutes or until seafood is just cooked. 5 Meanwhile, place mussels, clams and 2 tablespoons water in a frying pan over high heat. Cover with a lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the shells open.
- Step 5Divide bouillabaisse among bowls. Top with clams and mussels and scatter with reserved fennel fronds. Serve with toasts and rouille
- High protein
- Low carb
- Lower gi
Nutrition
2907 kj
Energy
16g
Fat Total
110g
Protein
1967.4mg
Sodium
18g
Carbs (total)
All nutrition values are per serve
Notes
Ask your fishmonger to fillet the fish and save the heads and bones for the stock. If you prefer, buy 600g john dory and 700g flathead fillets.
Pernod is an aniseed aperitif from bottle shops.
- Author: Sophia Young
- Image credit: Brett Stevens
- Publication: MasterChef
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