Author Notes
When I was little, my parents used to make this recipe on cold weekend nights in winter. Even though it's a fairly simple recipe and can be made quite quickly, the mix of seafood and the fiery kick of the roux made me always feel quite grown-up when I ate it. These days I try to use sustainable seafood, like mussels, clams, and tilapia. But this dish is perfect for improvisation and it's fun to try out different combinations of fish. —student epicure
Ingredients
- For Bouillabaisse
-
2 tablespoons
olive oil
-
1
medium onion, thinkly sliced
-
4
garlic cloves, roughly chopped
-
1
fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
-
2
russet potatoes, thinly sliced
-
1
bouillon cube (optional)
-
3
plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
-
1 1/4 pounds
fresh fish fillet, cut into slightly larger than bite size pieces
-
8
medium whole clams, soaked in a bowl of cold water until ready to cook
-
1/2 pound
bay scallops
- For garlic roux
-
2
garlic cloves, as finely minced as possible
-
1/3 cup
fresh bread crumbs
-
1/2 teaspoon
red chili flakes
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt (increase to 1 t if not using bouillon)
-
1 tablespoon
olive oil
Directions
-
In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until fragrant. Add the fennel and continue to saute until slightly softened. Add the potatoes and cook for about a minute. Add 6 cups of water and turn up heat to high. When boiling, add tomatoes and bullion cube and reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes and tomatoes are cooked through.
-
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the roux ingredients and mix with a spoon. Add about 2 T of broth from the soup to soften. Set aside.
-
When you are ready to eat, raise heat to bring soup back to a gentle boil. Add clams and cook until they have opened wide (about 3-4 minutes). Remove to a separate bowl. Add scallops, followed by the fish. These will cook very quickly. Taste test after about 1 minute for doneness. When fish is done, place clams back in the pot. Serve in large soup bowls letting guests add as much roux as they like. Make sure to have a crusty loaf of bread to serve as well!
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