Bouillabaisse with Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli
This luxe but easy version of bouillabaisse gets its rich flavor and incredible body from a broth made by pureeing shell-on shrimp and ocean fish scraps with aromatics, tomato paste, pastis, and clam juice. Shrimp, mussels and fish fillets are added to the broth at the end so they stay succulent and tender. A simple but luscious sun-dried tomato aioli smeared on grilled bread is the ultimate accompaniment to this seafood soup.
Ingredients
For the broth
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped, plus fronds for garnish
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup pastis, such as Pernod
- 4 cups clam juice or fish broth
- 4 large shell-on shrimp
- ½ pound ocean fish scraps, such as branzino, snapper, and turbot
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
For the Aioli
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 4 small Calabrian chiles, drained
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
For the Bouillabaisse
- 2 pounds ocean fish fillets, such as branzino, snapper, and turbot, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 12 large shell-on shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved for the broth
- 12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- Grilled crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
Make the broth:
- In a large Dutch oven or braiser, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the fennel, onion, shallots and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, until sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and pastis and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until nearly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the clam juice, shrimp, fish scraps, saffron and the additional reserved shrimp shells and bring just to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat until the shrimp and fish are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Working in batches, carefully transfer the broth mixture to a blender. Remove the vent from the top of the blender pitcher and put a double layer of kitchen towels on top to prevent splatter. Carefully puree the mixture until nearly smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a large Dutch oven, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.
Meanwhile, make the aioli:
- In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, chiles, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the simmering broth; puree until smooth. Transfer the aioli to a small bowl and season with salt.
Make the bouillabaisse:
- Bring the strained broth to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Add the fish fillets to the broth, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Nestle the shrimp and mussels in the broth. Cover and simmer until mussels open and the shrimp and fish are cooked through, about 3 minutes longer. Garnish the bouillabaisse with fennel fronds and serve with grilled crusty bread smeared with the rouille.
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