Bouill-A-Baisse! Bouill-A-Baise! Bouil-A-Baisse!
Play your game! Play your game! Play your game!
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I have been chanting that in my head for a few days, and it was necessary to share with you too.
Next stop on The Olympic Food Tour – FRANCE! This year, France’s Winter Olympic Team has 107 members, the largest entires being in Alpine Skiing and Free Style Skiing. Can you imagine training in the Alps or Pyrenees? Many more olympic and geographic fun facts to come, but for now, let’s get in the kitchen.
Like most soups and stews, this starts out with a simple mirepoix. Leeks, onions, celery, and garlic. Yes, you have to chop, but it doesn’t have to be perfect, just consistent in size for cooking, and for eating.
Using some butcher’s twine, make a bouquet of tarragon and thyme. Tying them together will make it easier to remove before adding the seafood.
In your largest pot, on medium high heat, add in the mirepoix, bouquet, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Let this sweat and soften for five minutes.
Add in tomato paste and white wine. Now, lean over the pot, and get a facial and take a deep breath. Oh, that fragrance. 😉 Add in crushed tomatoes and saffron, and mix.
Pour in the seafood stock. (No pic here, whoops.)
Once it comes up to a boil, it’s a good time to taste test to see if more salt and pepper need to be added. Now, time to add in the goodies. I used salmon, cod, shrimp, mussels, and seafood mix that included calamari and scallops. I started by adding the fish first, and just before serving I add the others because it takes very little time for them to cook. I add the mussels last, cover the pot and let them steam open for several minutes.
This is great served alone as an entree with come crusty bread, and this recipe feeds a crowd.
Bouillabaisse, serves 8* for an entree portion
1 leek, trimmed, halved and sliced
1 large white onion, small dice
2 celery stalks, split and sliced
5 garlic gloves, sliced
1/2 oz tarragon
1/2 oz thyme
2-3 bay leaves
2 T salt, divided
2 t pepper, divided
1 T tomato paste
1 c white wine
2 28 oz crushed tomatoes
large pinch of saffron (a .02 ounce jar)
3 qt seafood stock**
1 lb salmon, cubed
1 lb firm white fish such as cod, halibut, or rockfish, cubed
2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
1 lb frozen seafood mix, should include scallops and calamari (squid) rings
4 lbs mussles
In a large stock pot, on medium high heat, sweat the leek, onion, celery, bouquet, bay leaves, 1 T salt and 1 t pepper for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sliced garlic, combine, and sweat for one minute. Add the tomato paste, and wine. Stir. Add the crushed tomato, saffron and seafood stock. Bring to a boil. Taste test to see if the additional salt and pepper need to be added. Add the fish, shrimp, seafood mix. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mussels and cover the pot for three minutes. The mussels will steam open. Serve!
* This recipe can easily be halved, I have not tested it to date.
** Don’t feel like making seafood stock? You can buy from the store, or use water. Using water will force you to use more salt and pepper to flavor, so taste through out the cooking process.