Bouillabaisse
Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s bouillabaisse starts with a quick-cooking, but deeply flavored, seafood broth. Layering a base of aromatics with fresh snapper, scallops, shrimp, and a mix of Pernod and dry white wine creates a long-simmered flavor in under an hour.
Ingredients
Seafood Broth (Yield: 5 cups)
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more if needed
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1 onion, cut into small cubes
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1 carrot, cut into small cubes
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1 celery stalk, cut into small cubes
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1 fennel bulb, cut into small cubes, fronds reserved for garnish
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1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
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6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
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4 ounces tomato paste
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1 tomato, cut into small cubes
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5 to 6 shell-on raw large shrimp (about 6 ounces), roughly chopped
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1 (7-ounce) skinless red snapper fillet (or any white fish), roughly chopped
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1 sea scallop, roughly chopped
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3 thyme sprigs
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1 pinch piment d’Espelette
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1/3 cup Pernod
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1 cup dry white wine
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1/2 tablespoons saffron
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4 cups water
Bouillabaisse
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Zest of 1/2 an orange
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Zest of 1/2 a lemon
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2 (7-ounce) skinless red snapper fillets
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4 sea scallops (about 5 ounces)
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8 shell-on raw large shrimp (about 8 ounces)
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Kosher salt
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Freshly ground pepper
Additional Ingredients
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Chopped parsley
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Extra-virgin olive oil
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Toasted baguette slices
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Rouille
Direction
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Melt butter in a large enameled cast-iron casserole over medium. Add onion, carrot, celery, fennel, leeks, and garlic. Cook until softened and translucent but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste; stir until well combined.
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Add tomato, shrimp, snapper, and scallop; stir to combine. If ingredients seem dry, add 1 tablespoon butter. Add thyme and piment d’Espelette. Stir in Pernod, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. Add white wine; bring to a boil. Stir in saffron. Add 4 cups water, and return a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.
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Working in batches if necessary, transfer seafood broth to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece of lid to allow steam to escape. Place a clean kitchen towel over opening. Process until smooth.
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Pour seafood broth through a fine wire-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.
Make the bouillabaisse
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Combine seafood broth, orange zest, and lemon zest in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Bring to a simmer over low.
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Add red snapper fillets; cook until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. After 2 minutes, add scallops and shrimp; cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
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Remove from heat; season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide bouillabaisse among 4 serving bowls. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds, chopped parsley, and extra-virgin olive oil. Serve with toasted baguette slices and rouille.
