The Menu

Bouillabaisse - the famous fish soup of Marseille - is traditionally served with Rouille which is a mayonnaise accompaniment containing abundant chili pepper and garlic, a powerful and perilous sauce for many palates ! Spread it on the bread - or put a dollop in your bouillabaisse - or both. Instead of the usual baguette bread I have included a recipe for french-style milk rolls which are often served with this very special fish soup.

Recipe is for 4 people

• 2 lb mixed fish (monkfish, cod, squid, mullet)
• 1 lb shellfish (shrimp, mussels, scallops)
• 6 cups water
• 1 medium-size onion, sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 small leeks, trimmed, finely chopped
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, chopped
• fresh fennel sprigs
• 3 strips orange rind
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Clean and prepare fish, removing skin and bones. Reserve fish trimmings. Cut fish in chunks. Shellfish can be left unpeeled. Remove heads, if desired. In a large saucepan, combine fish trimmings and bones, water, onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove any scum which rises to surface and simmer 30 minutes. Strain stock into a large bowl, discarding bones and vegetables.

Clean saucepan. Heat oil in clean pan. Cook garlic and leeks over low heat 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Pour in stock and bring to a boil.

Stir in fennel, orange rind, saffron and thyme. When mixture boils, reduce heat and add firmer white fish and simmer 8 minutes. Add shellfish and cook 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread toast with Rouille and serve with soup.

• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 2 and a half teaspoons of rouille spice if available or paprika
• Peanut oil
• Olive oil
• 2 teaspoon mustard (or seeds)
• 2 egg yolks  
  
  Preparation:
  
  In a bowl mix together the mustard and egg yolk. Pour peanut oil then oilve oil into the bowl a little at a time whilst continuing to beat the mixture with a fork. 
  
  Keep switiching between adding a drizzle of peanut oil and then a drizzle of olive oil until the mixture has a firm, opaque color and looks like mayonnaise.
  
  Add 4 cloves of crushed garlic and the spices or paprike to the rouille - and this special sauce is ready to be spread on the bread and dipped into the bouillabaisse.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lard
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry yeast

Place the flour in a bowl with the salt, then rub in the lard. Heat the milk until just lukewarm, then stir in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set aside in a warm place, without stirring, for about 15 minutes until the yeast liquid is frothy.

Cut two pieces of non-stick baking parchment to fit in the bottom of a clay pot. Pour the yeast liquid into the flour mixture and mix to a soft dough. Knead briefly until smooth, then replace in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size. Turn out and knead very briefly, then divide into quarters. Shape each piece into a long roll which fits into the clay pot. Place two rolls on each piece of parchment on a board and leave in a warm place to rise.

Meanwhile, soak the clay pot.

Transfer two of the rolls to the pot on their paper. Cover the pot and place in the cold oven. Set the oven at 475F. Cook for 40 minutes. Uncover the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes. Bake the remaining rolls in the same way. Cool on a wire rack.