Bouillabaisse - A Gift of Love

 A total commitment to excellence, a passion for food, combined with an eye for detail are the reasons why M&B Food and Catering is so popular in the  Southern Highlands when it comes to events, functions and entertaining. Martial Cosyn of M&B brings us a wonderful Bouillabaisse - light, healthy and easy to prepare, this soup is a traditional French dish. Bon appetit!

Countless poets, songwriters and authors have heralded this unique fish soup over the years so it can leave a prospective cook a bit hesitant to try. There is even claim of its mystical origins; that the goddess Venus first created a Bouillabaisse and served it to her spouse, the god of fire Vulcan. I wonder if it had an aphrodisiac effect? And as if this isn’t enough, there are hundreds of recipes; all declaring their authenticity as ‘the original’ and confusing us even more, before even slicing the first fishy fillet!

For the serious ‘a-fish-ionado’ I should probably be shot just for including it in my repertoire as I’m not even ‘Provençale’; geographically I’m from quite the opposite end of France, in fact.

To simplify the issue, we are talking about a chunky fish soup. Fish from the Mediterranean coast, flavoured with saffron, tomatoes and fennel. Typically it should include fish such as Merlan, Rascasse Rouget et Saint Piere (Flat head, Red fish Mullet and Dory), some Langouste and other crustaceans.

I generally like to start with a good quality fish stock. I then prepare all my fish; filleted, skinned and completely deboned. I normally also like to include some mussels for the flavour as well as the presentation.

Next, in a large heavy bottomed saucepan, I add some good quality extra virgin olive oil and sweeten without coloration some leeks, fennel and carrots. [Sliced carrots and thinly sliced leeks]

I Cook this softly for10 minutes and add some crushed tomatoes, some fish stock and a generous amount of real saffron. All this could be made in advance and as a dinner is ready to serve  -  you simply add all the various :

The bouillabaisse is traditionally served with rouille; a potato, garlic and olive oil paste also flavoured with saffron. However, some diced cooked potatoes can substitute the rouille, and added to the soup give some chunkiness and gusto! Typically some Pernod is often added to the soup at the end of the cooking to accentuate the flavour of the fennel. I encourage you to try this incredibly delicious and healthy soup, and perhaps like Venus, you too may find the promise of love fulfilled?         

Martial Cosyn                                

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