| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Inactive: | 55 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 45 min |
| Inactive: | 55 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
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- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 6 sea scallops, patted dry
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Six 3-ounce halibut fillets
- 6 anchovies, drained and finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 large red shrimp, such as Carabineros, shells and heads on
- 18 mussels, scrubbed
- Three 8-ounce lobster tails, boiled in salted water for 5 minutes, drained and halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- Six 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette, lightly toasted
- Finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 5 cups raw shrimp shells, heads and tails (about 2 pounds), rinsed well
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium stalk celery, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 anchovies, drained and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato powder
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 green onion (green and pale green parts), thinly sliced
- Juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- Juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 small head fennel, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pastis, such as Pernod
- One 15-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained
- Pinch of saffron
- Pinch of Calabrian chile flakes
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
Instructions
- For the shrimp stock: In a large saucepan over high heat, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the shrimp shells and tails, onion, carrot and celery and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, then add 10 cups of cold water, the tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally, for 40 minutes.
- Strain the stock through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. The stock can be made 2 days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator, or frozen up to 3 months.
- For the tomato aioli: Combine the mayonnaise, anchovies, tomato powder, tomato paste, green onion, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- For the broth: Heat the oil in a large, high-sided saute pan over high heat and cook the fennel and onion until they begin to soften. Add the pastis and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, saffron, chile flakes and 2 cups of the shrimp stock. Bring to a boil, add the garlic and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add 4 more cups of shrimp stock, reduce the heat and cook until the flavors meld and the broth reduces slightly, about 20 minutes. Strain the shrimp-tomato broth into a large bowl, discard the solids, pour the liquid back into the high-sided saute pan and set aside.
- For the anchovy butter: Put the anchovies and butter in a bowl and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 20 minutes.
- For the seafood: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the scallops on one side until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet.
- Add another tablespoon of the oil to the pan and season both sides of the halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Sear on one side until golden brown, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to the baking sheet with the scallops.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the large saute pan, season the shrimp with salt and pepper and sear until the shells become lightly golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of the reserved shrimp-tomato broth. Transfer the liquid to the remaining shrimp-tomato broth in the high-sided saute pan.
- Heat the shrimp-tomato broth over high heat. Add the mussels, cover and cook until they open, about 2 minutes. Remove the mussels to the baking sheet with a slotted spoon and discard any that did not open.
- Add the seared seafood and lobster tails to the shrimp-tomato broth, cover and let cook for 2 minutes.
- To serve: Add the anchovy butter to the broth and cook until thickened; stir in the parsley, tarragon and lemon zest. Top each baguette slice with a large dollop of tomato aioli and garnish with chives. Divide the seafood and broth among 6 large, slightly shallow soup bowls. Top each with a tomato aioli crouton and garnish with more parsley or tarragon or chives, if desired.
Reviews
After making a double fish stock with the big bag of shrimp shells I had on reserve in the freezer, I went looking for a really good dish to make with my pot of liquid gold and came across this one for bouillabaisse which provided an even greater depth of flavor to the broth. In place of the tomato aioli (which I made but didn’t end up using,) I pureed the solids (including ALL the garlic cloves; disposing of their skins only) after making the broth (the recipe instructs to discard) and spread that on toasted slices of the baguette instead. Given the astronomical prices for wild caught fish these days $59 lb for halibut,) the only other change I made was opt for less costly variety of wild caught fish. Although the ingredients for this weeknight dinner (which included dessert and a bottled of white wine for two) it still cost just over $100 dollars, as others here have claimed, it was well worth it!
I have made various boulubase over the years, all very good. After making this…. there is nonother way! Absolutely the best! Hands down! The depth of flavor is incredible!
Excellent flavors, lots of work but as most reviews say, well worth it. I don’t think I’ll make a bouillabaisse any other way. I did use fresh lobsters as well as shrimp shells to make the stock. Saffron gave that notable but subtle flavor as it does. The Fennel and pastis ( i used an Ouzo i had) was subtle as well in the end, but another layer of flavor that works amazing.
Where is the salt? All recipes say season, season, season. But there is no salt in the broth.
Awesome recipe. Use shortcuts like using seafood stock and it is great.
Very delicious. I love love love it. Very time consuming but well worth it. I usually make this for a large crowd
Made this a year and a half ago, followed the recipe to the point as written. Remember it until today and thinking about it for the next weekend. Indulged and enjoyed, but time consuming is certainly a recollection. But darned well worth it, for the Seafood palate.
This is fantastic!! Its flavour is very complex. I was worried that the pernod would be overpowering, but it mellowed with cooking to blend in nicely. Don’t be afraid to add the anchovies It seems like a lot but again, it blends. The only thing I did differently, was I used lobster stock, because thats what I had made.