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Laksa Boullabaisse

by:
January 19, 2012
4.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I've made curry fish stew and mussels in curry sauce, but it always turned out heavier than I would have preferred. A friend took me to a noodle house and it was there that I tasted a laksa for the first time. The best way I can describe it is curry light. It wasn't as heavy handed with the hot spices, but abundant in aromatics. The consistency of a light soup, and a zing of citrus that added brightness rather than heat to the curry. Its my favorite sauce preparation for mussels. —edamame2003

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Ingredients
  • The Laksa Paste (can be made ahead of time)
  • 1 inch pieces galangal or ginger
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, cut into rounds
  • 1 kaffir lime zest (or key lime)
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves (or bay leaves)
  • 2 dry guajillo or ancho chili peppers
  • 1/4 cup shallot
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • Pinch saffron (optional)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • The Boullabaisse
  • 2 lime juice
  • 1 mandarin orange juice (3 calamansi can be substituted for the lime/orange)
  • 4 cups fish stock (or water)
  • 13.5 ounces can of coconut milk
  • fish sauce (or salt) to taste
  • palm sugar (or sugar) to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 pound firm fleshed fish (I used uku)
  • 1 pound mussels
  • 12 ounces noodles (ramen, rice, soba all work)
  • 1/3 cup laksa curry paste
  • 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
  • cilantro for garnish
  • sriracha, sambal olek, or fresh serrano for added spice
Directions
  1. The Laksa Paste (can be made ahead of time)
  2. Place the dry chilis and saffron in hot water and allow to soften/steep. Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
  1. The Boullabaisse
  2. Place a Tablespoon of oil in a large stock pot and heat the laksa paste to release the fragrance. Heat for about 3-5 minutes, but do not brown.
  3. Add the fish stock or water and bring to a simmer.
  4. Add the tomato and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until tomatoes soften.
  5. Add coconut milk.
  6. Add cubed fish and mussels and cover to let mussels open.
  7. Add citrus juice, fish sauce and sugar to taste.
  8. In a separate pot, boil water and quick boil the noodles al dente.
  9. Serve the laksa boullabaisse over noodles with cilantro garnish and optional sriracha, sambal oelek or fresh serrano peppers for spicier flavor.
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I work in the entertainment business, and in my free time, I really enjoy growing my own vegetables, trolling my local farmers markets and trying to re-create yummy dishes I eat at my favorite restaurants. My son is a big influence on how and what I cook. He's my guinea pig and promises to try anything I make once. Luckily the recipes on food52 are bountiful and delicious.

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12 Reviews

Write a Review
healthierkitchen January 24, 2012
This sounds so terrific! Saved.
edamame2003 January 25, 2012
thank you! hope you have a chance to try it!
gingerroot January 22, 2012
Eda, I could eat this every night! So delicious and surprisingly light. Did not use mussels this time around (have to work on the kiddos) but it was wonderful with local hebi. I've been starting to feel under the weather and this was a perfect panacea. Thanks for the recipe.
edamame2003 January 25, 2012
thanks jenny! I am so glad you tried it...and liked it! means a lot. so many of your recipes are in my rotation--glad to make it into yours!
fiveandspice January 19, 2012
This sounds wonderful! Everything about it is just awesome.
edamame2003 January 21, 2012
thank you!
ChefJune January 19, 2012
Sounds interesting and delicious, but why would you call it "Bouillabaisse?" It seems to me like a Southeast Asian Mussel Soup with Noodles. No resemblance to Bouillabaisse.
edamame2003 January 19, 2012
hi chef! thanks for the comment--why did i name it boullaibaisse? when i think of boullabaisse (and when I've had it), I taste fresh seafood in an aromatic sauce. And I like the way it sounds...more exotic than mussel soup with noodles. I also prefaced it with 'laksa' so you know this is my interpretation. and i am sure I didn't prepare the laksa as it would be typically done either. thats why its my recipe, i guess. I hope you try it. I'd love to hear your opinion.
Midge January 19, 2012
This sounds amazing. Saved!
edamame2003 January 19, 2012
thanks midge! i hope you make it soon and let me know how it turns out!
edamame2003 January 19, 2012
thanks so much--we had it for dinner last night. It's usually too spicy for my son to eat, but this recipe had all the flavor for him and I could just add my own heat.
aargersi January 19, 2012
I love everything about this. Everything. I am thinking this is dinner tomorrow night.