This a delicious French soup and this take is one where all the ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery shop.
For 6 people
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow big onion, chopped very small
1 large clove of garlic passed through the garlic press
1 1/2 pounds very red tomatoes, chopped very small
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon saffron
2 pounds diced peeled yellow potatoes
6 cups hot fish stock (from a box or fresh*)
2 cups clam juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in a little hot broth
1/2 pound small peeled prawns, washed
1/2 pound calamari rings, washed
1 pound mussels, shell removed, washed
1/2 pound scallops hopefully small, washed
salt
tabasco drops
sprigs of flat parsley to garnish the bouillabaisse
Serve with gluten-free bread or regular bread baked with butter and garlic.
In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium heat and immediately add the onions and garlic, as soon as they start to release their fragrance add the chopped tomatoes, stir and lower the heat a little so that they dry out, half covering the pot and stirring occasionally.
When the mixture with the tomatoes is quite dry, raise the heat and add the white wine, stirring to loosen any pieces that have stuck to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium again and add the saffron, stir for a few swconds and then add the diced potatoes, add salt and stir everything very well into the tomato and wine mixture, leaving about two minutes for the potatoes to soak in the saffron, wine, and the other ingredients.
Add the hot mixture of the two broths to the pot, raise the heat and as soon as it boils, lower the heat to medium low, cover the pot and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are al dente. Check the salt thinking about the shellfish, there must be a little more.
As soon as the potatoes are ready, raise the heat and when the broth boils add all the shellfish, cover the pot until the bouillabaisse boils, uncover it, turn down to medium and let everything cook for about 5 minutes maximum. Add a few drops of Tabasco and stir.
Check flavors and serve garnishing each plate with a sprig of parsley and a tray with garlic butter bread.
- You can make a very quick fish broth with two pounds of fish heads and/or crustacean shells, 6 cups of water, 2 diced celery sticks, half an onion, two medium diced carrots, boil for 15 minutes, strain and use.