Fish and shellfish soup with saffron and fennel

Name: Fish and shellfish soup with saffron and fennel
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 500g firm white fish fillet such as snapper, hapuku or blue-eye; 500g fresh black mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded; 6 whole green prawns, peeled and de-veined; 1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 small leek, washed and sliced in rounds; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon butter; 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped; 15 saffron threads, infused in a little hot water; ¼ cup sherry; zest of ½ an orange; 1 fresh bay leaf; 3 medium-sized potatoes, parboiled; salt and freshly ground pepper; chopped parsley, to finish

Brigitte Hafner

April 3, 2014

Bouillabaisse with fish, fennel, saffron and orange.Marina Oliphant

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6

This is a kind of bouillabaisse - a robust and rustic soup of fish, crab, mussels and prawns, flavoured with orange, fennel and saffron. The flavours are beautiful and gutsy, and the dish is quite simple to make. The important bit is to first make a rich stock from fish bones and crab, as this gives the soup its oomph, and to use only the freshest seafood you can find. Then enjoy with crusty bread and a dollop of garlicky aioli.

Ingredients

Bouillabaisse

500g firm white fish fillet such as snapper, hapuku or blue-eye
500g fresh black mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
6 whole green prawns, peeled and de-veined
1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small leek, washed and sliced in rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
15 saffron threads, infused in a little hot water
¼ cup sherry
zest of ½ an orange
1 fresh bay leaf
3 medium-sized potatoes, parboiled
salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley, to finish

Stock

1 kg white fish bones
1 blue swimmer or sand crab
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small carrot, chopped
½ an onion, chopped
4 parsley stalks
1 celery stick
2/3 cup white wine

Method

For the stock: Rinse the fish bones thoroughly in cold water. Remove the under shell of the crab, pull out the gills and discard, then chop the body into pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a pot over high heat and cook the fish bones and crab for a few minutes, stirring, before adding the onion, carrot, celery and parsley stalks. Cook a few more minutes until aromatic, then add wine, cook for a few minutes, then fill with just enough water to cover, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Skim and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid and discard the bones.
For the soup: Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, ensuring there are no bones. Sweat the fennel, garlic and leek in the butter and olive oil until soft and pale golden.
Add the tomatoes and saffron and cook for a few minutes before adding the sherry, orange zest, bay leaf, fish stock (from previous step) and potatoes. Bring to the boil and skim the surface. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
In a separate pot over high heat, steam the mussels open in a little olive oil and white wine, covered by a lid. Remove mussels to a bowl and add the cooking liquid to the soup. Taste for seasoning and add the fish pieces and prawns. Simmer gently until they are just cooked, about 5 minutes.
To serve
Serve immediately in individual bowls with the mussels, a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley and a dollop of aioli.

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