Tastes of Europe

The internet allows us to titivate, tease and tantalise our tastebuds! Cooking is therapeutic. It is artistic and creative giving us the opportunity to heighten and arouse our previously numbed senses. It affords us the hitherto forgotten ability to genuinely communicate with those we love, enjoy and desire! Convenience is a dark word that should be forcibly removed from the dictionary! Though far from being a crusader, my humble quest starts here with the opportunity for knowledge being shared amongst a culinary brethren!
Please allow me to indulge you.
Bouillabaise
(French Provençal seafood stew)
Bouillabaisse is one of the great dishes of French Provençal cuisine. The recipe looks intimidating, doesn't it? Well it shouldn't. Making it is actually fairly simple. The key is using top-notch ingredients.

Ideally bouillabaisse is made with rascasse, an ugly fish found only in the Mediterranean. But feel free to make it with any combination of fish and seafood available to you. Try to use as many different types as possible, as it improves the flavor.
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Broth
· Olive oil -- 1/4 cup
· Onion, chopped -- 1
· Celery, chopped -- 2 ribs
· Garlic, crushed -- 4 cloves
· Fish heads and bones (see variations) -- 2 to 3 pounds
· Tomatoes, chopped -- 1 pound
· Fennel bulb, or dried fennel seed (optional) --1 chopped bulb or 1 teaspoon seed
· Orange peel (no white pith) -- 1 piece, about 2 or 3 inches long
· Parsley -- 6 to 8 sprigs
· Fresh thyme -- 2 sprigs
· Bay leaf -- 1
· Saffron (optional) -- 1 pinch
· Salt -- 2 teaspoons
· Peppercorns -- 6 to 8
· Water -- 2 quarts
· White wine (optional) -- 1 cup
Rouille
· Red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded -- 1
· Potato, cooked and peeled -- 1
· Garlic, crushed -- 4 cloves
· Hot chile pepper, minced -- 1
· Fresh basil -- 2 tablespoons
· Salt and pepper -- to taste
· Olive oil -- 1/4 cup
To Finish
· Fish and seafood (see variations) -- 5 to 6 pounds
· French bread sliced and toasted -- 2 to 3 pieces per person
Method
1. For the Broth: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven oil over a medium flame. Add the onions, celery and garlic and sauté slowly until the onions are wilted and translucent. Stir in all the remaining broth ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and adjust its seasoning with salt and pepper. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point and the broth kept in the fridge until needed.)
3. For the Rouille: Place the roasted pepper, potato, garlic, chile pepper, basil, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor with a little of the broth from above. With the blender or processor running, gradually pour in the olive oil. Thin out the sauce a little with more of the broth if needed. The rouille should be thick but spreadable. Adjust seasoning and place in a sauce boat or small bowl.
4. To Finish: Bring the broth to a simmer again over medium heat. Add the fish and seafood in batches, starting with the firmest fish first and ending with the most delicate seafood. Simmer until all the fish and seafood is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. To serve, place the toasted bread in the bottom of each individual's bowl. Place a piece of each type of fish and seafood over the bread in each bowl and spoon the broth over all. Pass rouille at the table for each guest to stir into the bouillabaisse.