Recipe of the Week - Bouillabaisse
Makes 14 cups (3.5 L) for 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients 2 cups (500 mL) dry white wine
900-mL container chicken broth
236-mL bottle clam juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped cilantro (about 3 large)
1 Spanish or red onion
3 jalapeno peppers
1 small orange
1 tsp (5 mL) fennel seeds (optional)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each dried thyme leaves and salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) saffron threads, crumbled
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 lb (500 g) mussels
1 lb (500 g) sea or bay scallops
1 lb (500 g) fresh or frozen large uncooked tiger shrimp
1 cooked lobster (optional)
Pour wine, chicken broth and clam juice into a large wide pot and set over medium heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Add butter and shallots. Meanwhile, cut onion in half and thinly slice. Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise and seed, then finely chop. Stir both into broth. Finely grate in peel from half an orange. Add along with fennel seeds, thyme and salt. Crumble in saffron. Slice tomatoes in half and stir in. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer to develop flavour, at least 10 min.
Meanwhile, scrub mussels and remove beards. Discard any that are open. Then tear off and discard any tough muscles from sides of scallops. Pat dry with paper towels. If sea scallops are large, slice in half horizontally, forming two rounds. Leave small bay scallops whole. Peel and devein shrimp, if necessary. Crack the lobster shell and carefully remove the meat. Discard shell or set aside a claw or two for garnish. Slice lobster into generous bite-sized pieces.
Just before serving, bring broth mixture to a boil. Stir in mussels. Cover and simmer, without stirring, until mussels partially open, about 2 min.
Then stir in scallops and shrimp so they are submerged in broth.
Cover and cook just until shrimp turn pink, 3 to 4 min. Remove from heat. Remove and discard any mussels that have not opened. Stir in lobster. Ladle bouillabaisse into large wide soup bowls. Great with aioli baguette crisps (also in our Recipe File). If making ahead, prepare broth mixture as directed in step 1. It will keep well, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 days. Before serving, reheat broth and continue with steps 2 and 3.