I am right now in a phase of discovering and trying out delicious French recipes, which somehow, for various reasons, I left them aside in my culinary adventures.
Bouillabaisse, maybe you know it or not, is a fish stew made by fishermen in Marseilles originally prepared from bony fish they couldn’t sell to the restaurants or at the market. A vegetable mix such as fennel bulb, leek, tomatoes, potatoes and onion is simmered together with the fish and the broth. The soup is then served with rouille, a mayonnaise made of olive oil, garlic, saffron, and cayenne pepper on grilled slices of bread.
I am not a big fan of mayonnaise, in fact I try to avoid it as much as possible while eating out or cooking at home, so I brought my on signature to the recipe: Cori’s French Bouillabaisse, a bit lighter, using my own choice of fish and homemade bread toasted in the oven.
The inspiration for the recipe came almost direct from the source 🙂 We tried out a new place in our neighborhood, a Provençal restaurant, which happened to have a special Bouillabaisse day on that precise Friday we went there for dinner. It was the main attraction from the menu, and there was no excuse in the world to miss that. The experience was so good, that I decided to do my own Bouillabaisse at home the next weekend.
The result is sublime, a most certainly “do it again” recipe, that delights your taste buds and makes you ask for a refill :)..well, at least my husband did, and that’s telling me the recipe was a success.
Here’s my creation, and bare with me till the end and find out how to cook your next fish stew Provençal style.
- 400 gr white fish (bream, trout, cod) – or any of your liking
- 5-6 tiger shrimps
- 1 medium sized fennel bulb
- 7-8 cherry tomatoes
- 3 medium sized potatoes
- 2 shallots
- 1 chili pepper
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 150 ml white wine
- 1/2 tsp saffron
- 1 tsp orange peel
- salt and pepper freshly grated
- fresh marjoram
- homemade bread
- Prepare the fish soup first. Boil 1.5 l of water into a medium sized pot and add the shrimp shells or the fish heads, if you used any. Cut the potatoes in small cubes and add them into the soup, add the shallot, 1 tbsp of olive oil, bay leaves, 1 garlic cloves and a few cherry tomatoes. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, with the lid on, on a low heat.
- Separately, in a big non sticking frying pan, add the remaining olive oil and saute the finely sliced fennel bulb, and the shallots, for about 10 min, or until the shallot becomes translucent. Cut the chili pepper in small slices and add it into the pan together with the other ingredients.Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them into the pan together with the saffron and the orange peel. Pour the wine and let the sauce simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer the fish broth into the pan and add the fish cut into medium sized chunks. Let everything simmer for 10-15 on a low heat.
- Serve immediately with homemade toasted bread.
Love,
Cori
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Cori’s French Bouillabaisse
Trec printr-o perioada in care experimentez si descopar retete noi din bucataria frantuzeasca, pe care, cumva am lasat-o deoparte in incursiunile mele culinare de pana acum.
Cat despre Bouillabaisse, poate stii sau nu, este o supa de peste provensala originara din Marseilles, pe care pescarii o pregateau din pestele care, de regula, nu era acceptat de restaurante sau in piete. Impreuna cu un mix de legume (praz, fenicul, ceapa, rosii, cartofi), pestele era fiert intr-o supa si servita apoi cu bucati de paine coapte si unse cu rouille, o maioneza obtinuta din ulei de masline, usturoi, sofran si ardei iute.
Nu sunt un mare fan al maionezei, se mananca numai in salata de boeuf a mamei 🙂 tocmai de aceea mi-am pus ampreta: Cori’s French Bouillabaisse, mai light, cu peste dupa pofta inimii si paine de casa prajita in cuptor.
Inspiratia pentru reteta a venit direct de la sursa, mai mult sau mai putin. Am incercat zilele trecute un nou restaurant cu specific provensal si s-a facut ca tocmai in acea vineri vedeta in meniu era French Bouillabaisse. Pai aveam vreo scuza daca o ratam? Nu cred, asa ca am testat-o cu mare pofta si am repetat-o acasa weekendul urmator.
Rezultatul este sublim, in mod clar o reteta pe repeat, care-ti incanta papilele gustative si te fac sa-ti reumpli farfuria..cel putin asta a facut sotul meu, deci e semn ca reteta a avut mare succes 🙂
400 gr de peste alb (dorada, pastrav, cod – sau orice alt tip de peste alb)
5-6 creveti mari
1 bulb de fenicul
7-8 rosii cherry
3 cartofi medii
2 cepe esalote
1 ardei iute
2-3 frunze de dafin
3 catei de usturoi
3 linguri de ulei masline
150 ml de vin alb
1/2 lingurita sofran
1 lingurita coaja de portocala
sare si piper proaspat macinate
majoran proaspat
paine facuta in casa
Incepe prin a pregati supa de peste. Pune la fiert o oala cu 1.5 litri de apa si adauga cochilia crevetilor sau capul pestilor (eu am folosit fileuri de peste), un catei de usturoi, o ceapa esalota, foile de dafin, cartofii taiati in cuburi medii, catva rosii cherry, 1 lingura de ulei de masline si sare. Lasa totul sa fiarba la foc mic aproximativ 15-20 minute.
Separat, intr-o tigaie incapatoare si antiaderenta, incinge restul de ulei de masline si adauga bulbul de fenicul taiat in felii subtiri si restul de ceapa esalota tocata marunt. Caleste la foc mic timp de 10 minute, sau pana ceapa devine translucida. Taie ardeiul iute in bucatele mici si adauga-l in tigaie. Toaca usturoiul marunt si transfera-l in tigaie impreuna cu restul de ingrediente. Soteaza inca 2-3 minute, apoi adauga restul de rosii cherry, sofranul si coaja de portocala. Lasa totul la foc mic pentru inca 2 minute, pana ce toate aromele se intrepatrund. Toarna vinul si lasa sa fiarba 5-7 minute.
Transfera supa de peste peste sosul din tigaie si adauga bucatile de peste taiate grosier si creveti. Mai tine totul la foc mic cam 10-15 minute.
Serveste imediat cu paine de casa prajita in cuptor.
PS: Stropeste painea cu putin ulei de masline si presara frunze de busuioc uscate inainte de a o praji.
Love,
Cori
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