Bouillabaisse (Provençal Fish and Seafood Stew)

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150ml dry white wine
• 1.2 litres fish stock
• Large pinch of saffron strands
• Strip of orange zest
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 500g new potatoes, sliced 1cm thick
• 1kg mixed firm white fish fillets (such as monkfish, red mullet, John Dory, gurnard or cod), skinned and cut into large chunks
• 500g fresh mussels, cleaned
• 6 raw king prawns, shell on
• For the rouille: 1 slice white bread, crusts removed
• For the rouille: 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• For the rouille: 1 egg yolk
• For the rouille: pinch of saffron and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• For the rouille: 100ml olive oil
• Toasted baguette slices and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Method

1. For the rouille, soak the bread in 2 tbsp of the hot stock for 5 minutes, then squeeze out and mash it with the garlic, egg yolk, saffron and cayenne. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until thick and glossy, then season with salt.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Cook the onion, leek and fennel for 10 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and tomato purée for 2 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, wine, stock, saffron, orange zest, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to the boil, add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until almost tender.

4. Add the firmest fish first, simmer for 3 minutes, then add the rest of the fish and the prawns and simmer for 3 more minutes.

5. Add the mussels, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the shells open. Discard any that stay closed, and the thyme, bay leaf and orange zest.

6. Serve in deep bowls scattered with parsley, with toasted baguette and the rouille for spreading or stirring in.