a tomato bouillabaisse is the ultimate summertime seafood stew! it is loaded with flavour & seafood (of course). it is also a very forgiving recipe if you want to substitute your favourite shell fish. you can use prawns for shrimp, clams for mussels or scallops for the cod! the most important thing is to have variety.
the fish is simmered in a fennel based tomato sauce with a hint of spice from the chilly flakes. i use pomi USA's chopped tomatoes for added texture & the double concentrated tomato paste for extra flavour. a must is to serve it with crusty bread for soaking up all that broth! my go to is sourdough that i throw on the grill right before serving to get a little char.
p.s. be sure to add the seafood based on cooking times as you don't want anything overcooked! start with the fish that takes the longest & end with the fish that takes only minutes to cook.
ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz ground chorizo sausage (approximately 2 sausages with casing removed)
- salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon pomi USA double concentrated tomato paste
- 1 cup quality dry white wine (i used chardonnay)
- 4 cups low sodium fish stock (can substitute low sodium chicken stock)
- 1 750g box pomi USA chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup cannelloni beans, rinsed (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 5oz filets of cod
- 1 lb mussels
- 1 lb extra jumbo shrimp
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- grilled sourdough bread, for serving
directions
- in a dutch oven over medium heat add the olive oil & sausage. breaking up the sausage, cook until browned. using a slotted spoon remove the sausage & set aside.
- to the same dutch oven add the garlic, fennel & onion. cook until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. season with salt & pepper.
- add the tomato paste, white wine, fish stock, chopped tomatoes, beans & bay leaves. bring to a gentle simmer, cover with lid & cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- add the cod & simmer for 5 minutes. add the shrimp & simmer for 5 minutes. add the mussels & simmer until fully cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- remove from heat & remove bay leaves. stir in the lemon juice, fresh parsely & red pepper flakes. season with salt & pepper to taste if necessary.
- transfer to serving bowl & serve with grilled sourdough bread.
