Recipes brought to you by Avanti Savoia
Visit us online at www.avantisavoia.com
Bouillabaisse

Be the first to review this recipe.
(Recipe ID: 193)
Serves 12
Preparation time: 30 minutes; Cook time: 4 hours
Source: Vito De Carolis
Monster meal
Ingredients
Items indicated with an astrisk (*) available for purchase in the Avanti Savoia store. See below to add these items to your cart.
- 10 pounds (About 2 1/2 pounds for each fish) Red snapper-red grouper-turbot-haddock
- 5 pounds (About 2 1/2 pounds for each fish) Bluefish-mackerel
- 2 pounds Rock lobster tails
- 1 1/2 cups Extra virgin olive oil *
- 2 Large onions, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 Carrot, coarsely chopped
- 3 Stalks celery, coarsely chopped
- 3 Leeks white and green, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 2 pounds Plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Sprigs fresh parsley
- 3 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 Bay leaf *
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds *
- 1 Orange zest (2-3 inches long)
- 2 pinches Saffron threads, crumbled and steeped in a 1/4 cup hot water
- 3/4 gallon Hot water
- 2 teaspoons Fresh sea salt (fine) *
- 1 teaspoon Black peppercorn, freshly ground *
- Sliced French bread (1/2 inch thick)
- 1 tablespoon "Peperoncino" flakes or sweet chilli flakes, to your taste
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 2 Egg yolks hard boiled
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil *
- 1 Red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup Hot fish stock
- 1/2 cup Soft white bread, pulled into bits
- 1/4 teaspoon French sea salt (fine) *
Instructions
*When picking out the fish make sure to ask the fishmonger to clean and fillet your fish, have him save the heads, tails, and carcasses. Cut the fish into 4 x 2 1/2 inch pieces.
"Rouille" Sauce
1 tablespoon "Peperoncino" flakes or sweet chilli flakes, to your taste
3 Garlic cloves
2 Egg yolks hard boiled
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil (A. O. C. Provence suggested)
1 Red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Hot fish stock
1/2 cup Soft white bread, pulled into bits
1/4 teaspoon French sea salt (fine)
- Put hot fish stock into the bottom of a blender.
- Combine all the ingredients, except for the oil.
- Blend until very smooth.
- With the blender still running, add olive oil slowly.
Bouqet garni:
tablespoons Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 Sprigs fresh parsley
3 Sprigs fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
1 Orange zest (2-3 inches long)
All wrapped in a cheesecloth
Recipe instructions:
- Rinse the fish heads, tails, and carcasses in cold water.
- Break the carcasses into pieces.
- Set aside.
- In a large stockpot (1 1/2 gallon capacity), put 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add the leeks and cook until soft brown but not brown. Then add the carrot and celery stirring occasionally.
- After 6 minutes add fish heads, tails and carcasses, cover with cold water.
- Bring to boil, skimming occasionally, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
- Strain the fish broth through a conical strainer ans set aside to cool.
- Discard all of the fish heads and carcasses.
- Clean the stock pot, heat the remaining 1 cup of olive oil over medium heat, add the onions and saute' for a minute.
- Add tomatoes, garlic, bouquet garni, saffron, salt, and pepper.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then add the fish broth and hot water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Bring the broth back to a furious boil.
- Keep the broth boiling furiously so the oil emulsifies.
- Add the red snapper, red grouper, turot and haddock then boil uncovered over very high heat for 8 minutes.
- Shake the pot to prevent sticking.
- Add bluefish, mackerel, and lobster tails, continue to boil hard for 6 minutes.
- Add more boiling water if necessary to cover the fish.
- Shake the pot occasionally to prevent sticking. Note: The fish should be left at room temperature for 20 minutes before addint them to the broth. Put the fish in one at a time, allowing a few seconds for the broth to adapt to the temperature change.
- Carefully remove the fish from the broth with a slotted spoon and spatula or skimmer and transfer to a large bowl or deep platter.
- Arrange the fish on the platter more or less in the order in which you put them into the pot.
- Keep them warm by covering with a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, disarding what doesn't go through.
- Sprinkle the fish and soup with the parsley.
- To serve, place the toasted bread in the bottom of each individuas soup bowl, spoon the broth over all.
- Pass "Rouille" sauce at the table for guests to stir into the bouillabaisse, then serve the fish on a serving platter.
Buy Ingredients
The following ingredients are available in the Avanti Savoia online store. Click the product name for more information.