Traditions should be followed, but if you’re tired of stuffed Saint Nicolas carps, why not try something different?
Bouillabaisse
The coast between Marseille and Saint-Tropez is home to the most famous fish soup “Bouillabes“. Only here is it really prepared, say the fishermen. Everything else is a poor imitation – it requires freshly caught fish and the aroma of sea water and seaweed. Literally translated, “bui-a-beso” means “cook and finish”.
Products:
For the broth and soup:
- 2 kg. fresh fish, preferably 6-7 different species (turtle, eel, mackerel (avoid tuna and salmon), shrimp, clams (you can replace them with a “seafood” mix from which the crab rolls have been cleaned – you get the idea) why – there is nothing Rachaian about them ;-);
- 5-6 tbsp. olive oil;
- 2 onions;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 2 sprigs of thyme;
- 5 sprigs of parsley;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1 tsp. white wine;
- 1 tsp. grated orange peel;
- 4-5 slices of bread;
- a little fresh onion;
- salt;
- black pepper.
For the spicy sauce:
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves;
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 4 tablespoons of lemon juice;
- 2 hot peppers, finely chopped;
- 200 ml of olive oil.
Bouillabaisse
Method of preparation:
The fish are cleaned and washed, the heads, fins and ends of the tails are cut off and cut into large pieces.
The coarsely chopped onion is lightly fried in olive oil, the chopped tomatoes, green onions, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, crushed garlic cloves and orange peel are added.
Everything is lightly stewed.
Then add the fish tails, heads and fins, as well as fish whose meat is more difficult to cook (eel, turbot), salt and cover with water.
Let the soup boil and cook for 7-8 minutes on high heat.
Then add the fish with soft meat and cook for another 7-8 minutes.
Boil the bouillabaisse a little longer, but no more than another 15 minutes, remove from the heat, add the white wine, season generously with black pepper and leave for another 5 minutes on a very low heat.
The fish broth is strained and poured into plates with cubes of toasted white bread. The fish pieces are separated after draining.
If you use real lobsters and crabs, they are boiled separately for about 12 minutes (less can be, but not more, because they become hard), cleaned and placed on the bread cubes in large pieces of the cleaned meat.
The fish is served separately, garnished with fresh parsley.
The spicy sauce is made by pureeing together the basil, parsley, chilli, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Salt to taste. Served separately.
Enjoy!
