Much as I love bouillabaisse, I have never come across rascasse, the spiny Mediterranean rockfish that is the backbone of Marseille's signature dish, outside its homeland. Bourride, another southern French fish stew, is a simpler affair that is much easier to recreate here. Enriched with garlicky aioli, it is a lovely thing for a summer's evening, and can be prepared ahead up to the end of step 7.
Ingredients
For the aioli
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 pinch coarse salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 75ml light olive oil, or neutral oil
- 30ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
For the stew
- 6 sustainably sourced raw shell-on prawns (optional)
- 2 small leeks
- 1 fennel bulb
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 1 long strip orange peel, cut into slivers
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- Salt and pepper
- 75ml dry white wine
- 500ml fish stock (or use the fish and shellfish carcasses to make your own: see step 4)
- 400g sustainably sourced firm-fleshed white fish – e.g., hake, gurnard, monkfish, pollock (and preferably a mix), all cut into bite-size pieces
- Bread, or croutons or boiled new potatoes, to serve
Method
1. A note on the fish
Bourride can be made with any fish that is firm enough to keep its shape – Richard Olney's Lulu's Provencal Table simply specifies any 'filleted white-fleshed fish'. I like a combination of hake and gurnard, but cod, mullet, haddock, monkfish, bream, etc., will also work here. Ask to keep the carcasses if your fishmonger is filleting the fish for you (or for any they have going spare).
2. Shellfish or no shellfish?
Though some claim shellfish is never used, Caroline Rimbert Craig includes squid or prawns in Provence: The Cookbook and Alex Jackson mussels in his book Provencal (previously known as Sardine). For many of us, shell-on prawns are easier to come by than fishmongers, so I have included some here to enrich a ready-made stock, but feel free to leave them out if you are a purist.
3. Fry the veg and prawn shells
Shell the prawns if using, keeping the shells. Roughly chop one of the leeks and half the fennel, then soften them in the oil in a large saucepan. Stir in the garlic, most of the orange peel, the fennel seeds and saffron, season generously and fry for two minutes. Stir in the prawn shells, if using, turn up the heat and saute to a vivid pink.
4. Deglaze and add the stock
Add the wine and, once that has almost evaporated, pour in the stock (or, if using fish carcasses, add them now and cover with cold water instead). Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and leave to bubble away gently for 20 minutes (if making your own stock from scratch, give it half an hour). Strain into a large jug – you should have about 400ml broth – and top up with water, if need be. Discard the carcasses and aromatics.
5. Make the aioli
Meanwhile, to make the aioli, crush the garlic with the salt. To stay traditional, beat this mixture into the egg yolk, then very gradually whisk in the oils a very little at a time, until thick and emulsified (you can use just one type of oil, if you like, but this mix gives the aioli a more balanced flavour). Add the lemon juice and season to taste.
6. Or blitz the garlic and egg
Alternatively, if you have a hand blender and a cylindrical container just slightly larger than the head, put the crushed garlic and salt mix, egg yolk and lemon juice in the container and add a tablespoon of cold water. Pour 75ml oil on top, then leave this to settle for a minute, so the oil rises to the top.
7. Finish with a hand blender
Resting the head of the blender on the base of the container, whizz on high speed until a thick emulsion begins to billow upwards. Slowly tilt the container gradually to introduce the rest of the oil to the emulsion, until it is all incorporated. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil by hand (whizzing it can make it bitter) and season to taste.
8. Now back to the stew
Return the strained broth to the empty pan and bring to a simmer. Cook each variety of fish and seafood separately by dropping it carefully into the hot broth, then cover the pan, turn down the heat and leave until just cooked. Transfer to a plate or shallow bowl and repeat with the rest of the seafood. Once all the fish is cooked, divide it between warmed serving bowls. Finely slice the remaining leek and fennel, poach them in the broth same way, then add to the bowls once soft.
9. Finishing touches
Take the broth off the heat. Put three tablespoons of the aioli in a heatproof bowl, then gradually whisk in a ladleful of the warm broth to loosen. Slowly whisk this mix into the broth pot, then heat very, very gently just to warm through. Divide the broth between the serving bowls, scatter over the remaining orange peel and serve with the aioli and bread, croutons or boiled potatoes.
