Bouillabaisse

A hearty fish soup.

Recipe makes 5 litres/20 portions.

Ingredients

250	g	shallots
5	cloves	garlic
500	g	leek
300	g	tomatoes, peeled
100	g	tomato purée
60	g	olive oil
25	threads	saffron
5	sprigs	thyme
250	g	white wine
4	litres	fish stock
2	kg	fish fillets (cod, whiting, gurnard, salmon, weever)
500	g	king prawns and shellfish
		parsley
		pepper
		salt

Clean and finely chop the shallots and garlic.
Cut the washed leek into rings 0.5cm thick. Chop the peeled tomatoes into 1x1cm chunks.
Heat the olive oil in a large wide pan.
Add the finely chopped shallots, garlic, and leek. Gently fry.
Add the peeled tomatoes, tomato purée, saffron, and thyme. Gently fry these as well.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate.
Add the fish stock and bring to the boil. Then leave to gently cook for fifteen minutes.
Cut the fish fillets into 2x2cm pieces. Place the fillets in the soup and leave them until they are just done.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Finish the soup with cooked prawns or shellfish and finely chopped parsley.

Serve with croutons and rouille.
Variation tip: use a different garnish such as whelks, winkles, razor clams, mussels, or cockles.
Variation tip: use a few warm spices, such as cinnamon, star anise, cloves, or mace, to give the soup a different flavour accent.
Variation tip: instead of using fresh garlic, try using roasted garlic, confited garlic, or wild garlic for a different flavour accent.
Variation tip: use shellfish, such as lobster, as a garnish.