Some people might say this dish should be called fish stew.
I had always thought bouillabaisse was a peasant dish that fishing families made with the bounty of their catch and there were as many variations as there were families and types of fish.
I have learned that there are those out there that are a little fussy about what qualifies as bouillabaisse--especially since I am not using *gasp* white fish.
"When looking for a Bouillabaisse recipe in US, you’ll quickly learn that there is a Bouillabaisse police. If they could give out violation tickets for using the name of this holy soup in vain, they would. You used mussels in your broth – $50! You didn’t fly in the appropriate varieties of fish from the Mediterranean -- $100! ...Don’t even get me started on what makes authentic Bouillabaisse – I don’t care."
I don't have a set recipe, I don't know (or, like Helen, particularly care) what is authentic--I generally use whatever I feel like putting in it, or what is available.
In any and all ways, bouillabaisse is a favorite at our house.
At one time, it was our go-to dish for special occasions--and we had it with our extended family every Christmas day.
Now we have shabu-shabu for special occasions, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoy this dish.
I'll have to make it more often and be sure to invite my friends that love it--the more people you have, the bigger the pot and the more kinds of seafood you can have!
The key to making good bouillabaisse is to make it with seafood you like.
I don't care for mussels, so I don't add them--but I have friends that love them and say they are a must--so use what you like.
Traditionally, the fish used is a white fish, but my family loves salmon and I've been using salmon for the last few years with rave results.
Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook
Ingredients:
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 large leek, rinsed thoroughly and chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups canned tomato puree
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 bay leaves
4-6 cups water or stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3 to 6 tablespoons butter mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 heaping teaspoon saffron threads
an assortment of fish such as:
cherrystone or manila clams, scrubbed
raw shrimp
crab
fish--sea bass, snapper, cod or salmon
scallops
lobster
Saute the chopped leek, onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until soft and lightly colored.
Add the canned tomato puree and fresh chopped tomatoes along with the wine, and bay leaves.
Then I zipped about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves off the stems and added them to the pot.
Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Then add the chopped parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Taste the broth.
I added a tablespoon of brown sugar and some water to balance the flavors.
Balance the flavors according to your tastes.
Turn heat to low or turn the heat off until just before you're ready to serve.
Scrub the outside of the clams with a vegetable brush.
This is a picture of Warren, me and Gordon fishing in the Sierras when we were little.
We must be attempting to show off a fish we've caught.
I'm sure we couldn't have been fighting.
If we were fighting, I would have been mad.
Warren's my buddy.
He's smart and has a lot of talents.
Warren is a mountain biker.
That's their dog, Lucy.
Warren's also what I'd call a Foodie.
He knows what's good and is always going out to restaurants to try different things.
Warren loves fishing.
For a while, he fished in the bass circuit.
He's good at trout fishing, too.
He knows where all the big fish are in Gull Lake and Crowley Lake in the Eastern Sierras.
He grew his hair out for several years.
But got it cut recently for his son's wedding.
He looked nice.
And 20 years younger with short hair.
He recently went deep sea fishing for three days and won the jackpot fish each day.
He's really good at fishing.
***
Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook
Ingredients:
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 large leek, rinsed thoroughly and chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups canned tomato puree
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 bay leaves
4-6 cups water or stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
3 to 6 tablespoons butter mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 heaping teaspoon saffron threads
an assortment of fish such as:
cherrystone or manila clams, scrubbed
raw shrimp, shells removed
crab, shells cracked & broken apart
fish--sea bass, snapper, cod or salmon--cleaned and cut bite-sized
scallops
lobster, cut into pieces
Prepare seafood and set aside.
Saute the vegetables and garlic in olive oil, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly colored, about 30 minutes.
Add the tomato puree, fresh chopped tomatoes, wine, bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust seasonings, adding 1 tablespoon brown sugar and water if necessary.
Mix 3-6 tablespoons of softened butter (depending on how rich you like it) with 1 tablespoon flour into a smooth paste.
Whisk into simmering soup and add a heaping teaspoon of saffron threads.
Add the seafood and gently cook for about 5 minutes or until the clams have opened, the fish is firm and the shrimp is pink and curled. Do not overcook. Garnish with basil, parsley or chives.
Ladle into warm bowl and serve with a green salad, hot rice or bread.
If you do, I think you'll have a big hit with this dish at your next party!
The kids were coming over for dinner tonight--I wanted to make them something special.
My family will be happy tonight!
After the crab is cleaned and the shells are cracked to make the meat easy to get to, it's arranged on the platter as if it's still whole--with vegetables, for an appetizer tray.
It makes a fun presentation!
When I went to Costco this morning, the crab looked good, so I picked up a package.
The crab at Costco is whole, so there's a little bit of work to do to prepare this appetizer tray.
The first thing I made was the cocktail sauce.
Start with a 1/3 cup ketchup.
Then add a tablespoon of horseradish along with a teaspoon of sriracha hot sauce.
Then add about a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Mix well, taste, and adjust seasonings.
This is my favorite cocktail sauce.
These guys are already cooked.
Rinse them under cold water and they're ready to eat.
You'll need a pair of kitchen shears to crack the shell.
You can use a nutcracker or a tenderizer mallet, too.
This is the underside of the crab.
Pull the legs off first.
Taking this guy apart prompts me to say a silent prayer in thanks for his life to nourish others.
Leave each leg section whole.
These white things are the gills, take them off.
I learned that in biology.
Junior high, I think.
I could show you how I know these particular crabs are male--if you remember, that would be like what Brock used to do with his horses--but I think I'll skip that this time.
And spare you the details of my daughter helping me clean the crab and asking, "Would that be where Mr. Crab would get a...vasectomy?"
Take the kitchen shears and snip a little cut into each side of the crab's leg, at each section.
That makes it easy to snap the shell to get the meat out.
It's pretty easy to do, even on the big claws.
You can use a nutcracker, but I don't think they work as well.
Just a little snip like this works great.
After you've done all the legs, it's time to do the body.
The shell comes apart like this.
Pull the middle part away from the big shell.
That part is called the carapace.
Pull the gills off.
Then wash the other innards off the carapace.
This is the carapace broken in half.
You can see the sections from each leg section.
Rick Godinez calls these parts "the Titanic pieces".
Because they have a lot of compartments.
Now we call them the Titanic pieces too.
Break the Titanic pieces into smaller pieces.
This stuff--the rest of the innards--is called 'the tamale,' or 'crab butter'.
That recipe was good, but I've decided I like this simple preparation of Dungeness crab better.
Whenever I make this, though, my father-in-law always asks if I saved him the inside part.
That's his favorite part.
He cooks it with shoyu, sugar and mirin--and scrambles an egg in there.
I wash the shell out and use it for decoration on the tray.
Arrange the legs like they were on the crab.
Then put the Titanic pieces on top, in the middle.
Put the big shell on top.
Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges.
Serve with cocktail sauce and/or ranch dressing.
At Costco, there were two crabs to a package.
I garnished the tray with carrot and celery sticks and with grape tomatoes.
Itadakimasu!
***
Karen's in town for a work convention.
She loves crab!
She is definitely not camera shy.
My father-in-law loves crab, too.
I used to buy them a live Dungeness crab at the Chinese market every now and then when I'd go there, and the crabs were on sale, then drop off the squirmy little bundle at their house, on my way home from the market.
It's not something they would buy for themselves as a treat.
As my mother-in-law was getting ready to cook the crab, the crab pinched her!
She said it pinched her so hard, and for so long, it brought tears to her eyes!
She said, "Itai. Itai! ITAI!"
(Itai means 'it hurts'.)
She makes this exact expression when she tells the story, too.
Then she laughs.
In that Japanese way that's kind of shy--and she covers her mouth.
So, if you buy a live crab, best to cook it with the rubber bands they put over the pinchers--ON!
***
For a cooked crab:
Thoroughly wash crab. Break off the legs and snip them with kitchen scissors to crack the shell in places to make it easier to get to the meat.
Break the body, the carapace, away from the large top shell. Wash and remove the gills and innards, then break into smaller pieces. Wash the big shell, removing everything remaining.
Arrange on plate in the shape of the whole crab, putting the small pieces under the large shell. Garnish with lemon wedges, parsley and an assortment of fresh vegetables. Serve with cocktail sauce or ranch dressing.
Cocktail Sauce
Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon jarred horseradish, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasonings.
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