Bouillabaisse for Busy People

In her new cookbook At Home in Provence, Jeany Cronk, co-owner of winemakers Maison Mirabeau, simplifies this famously time-consuming French classic so you can rustle it up any day of the week…

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g (9 oz) large shell-on raw prawns (shrimp)
• 4 small red mullet
• 750 ml (25 fl oz/3 cups) cold water
• olive oil, for cooking
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ fennel bulb, diced (keep the fronds for garnishing)
• Pinch of salt
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 good pinch of saffron threads or spigol spice mix
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) mussels, scrubbed
• Croutons, to serve

For the sun-dried tomato rouille

• 25 g (1 oz) soft white bread
• 75 ml (2½ fl oz/5 tbsp)
• hot fish stock
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Espelette pepper
• Salt

METHOD

1. Peel the prawns and put the heads and shells into a saucepan along with the mullet bones and trimmings (see Note). Cover with the water. Put the peeled prawns and mullet fillets back in the refrigerator, covered, until needed. Bring the stock to a simmer over a low heat and cook for 45 minutes.
2. Drizzle the base of a pan with olive oil. Heat over a medium-low heat, then add the onion, fennel and a pinch of salt and sweat for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes until it starts to colour.
3. When the stock is ready, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve (strainer) into a bowl. Repeat if there are still a few remaining bits.
4. Pour the stock into the pan with the onions and fennel and add the saffron and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the rouille. Put the bread, hot stock, tomatoes, garlic and 1 tbsp of the olive oil into a food processor and blend until rich and velvety, adding more oil if needed. Season to taste with Espelette pepper and salt, then set aside.
6. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until very smooth, then return to the pan, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, make the rouille. Put the bread, hot stock, tomatoes, garlic and 1 tbsp of the olive oil into a food processor and blend until rich and velvety, adding more oil if needed. Season to taste with Espelette pepper and salt, then set aside.
8. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until very smooth, then return to the pan, bring to a simmer and add the mussels and prawns. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the mullet fillets (which can be more fragile and take less time). Once the mussels are open and cooked, divide the soup between bowls, making sure everyone gets a little of each element. Serve with croutons topped with the rouille to dip in the soup.

Note

When you buy your fish, ask your fishmonger to fillet it but keep the bones as these will form the basis of your stock.

Lead photo credit : JEANYCRONK_BOUILLABAISE