Ahipara Bouillabaisse w/ Grilled Bread and Rouille

Serves 8

Step 1 Rouille

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Mayonnaise
• ½ a whole Roasted Red Capsicum (Peeled, de-seeded & rough chopped)
• 6 Cloves Roasted Garlic Cloves
• 1 tsp Fresh Garlic (minced)
• 2 - 4 Anchovies
• 2 ½ Tbl Tomato Paste
• ½ Tbl Sweet Paprika
• ¼ Cup Bread Crumbs
• ½ Lemon, juice of
• Tabasco - to taste
• Pinch Sugar
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. The above amounts work well, however if you want more anchovies flavor, add more. Likewise if you want it a bit sharper add more lemon juice etc etc... Keep refrigerated until required.

Step 2. Crayfish/Fish Stock

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 Crayfish Bodies (Tails used later in recipe)
• ¼ Cup Cooking Oil
• 1 Cup White wine
• 1 kg Fish frames
• 1 Cup Celery (Fine dice)
• 3 Cups Onion (Fine dice)
• 1 Cup Carrot (Fine dice)
• 2 Bay leaves
• ¼ Bunch Parsley
• 10 Peppercorns
• 2 Ltrs Cold Water.

Method

For the crayfish bodies, chop and break up the bodies as much as possible. Place a large saucepan on the heat. Once hot, add the oil and the munched up crayfish bodies. Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes stirring periodically.

Now add the white wine, fish frames, celery, onion, carrot, bay leaves, parsley, and pepper corns. Stir altogether turn the heat down and cover with a lid. Let the bones etc steam in the white wine for 10 - 15 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the water. Bring up to a simmer then adjust to a slight rolling boil. Let the stock slowly develop for 40 minutes, then strain off the bones and veggies etc. Discard these and keep the stock once cooled, in the refrigerator until required.

Step 3. Bouillabaisse Base.

Ingredients

• ½ Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Cups Onion (Medium dice)
• 3 Cups Fennel Bulb (Medium dice)
• 1 Cup Celery (Medium dice)
• 8 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 3 Tbl Tomato Paste
• 1 Ltr Crushed Tinned Tomatoes
• 2 Ltr Crayfish/Fish Stock
• Generous Pinch Good quality Saffron (bloomed in ½ cup warm water)

Method

Take your largest saucepan, place on the heat and add the olive oil. Once hot add the onion, fennel, celery, and garlic. Turn the heat down and sweat the vegetables on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the vegetables are soft, add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Cook this down for 5 minutes then add the seafood stock and saffron + liquid.

Cook down for half an hour over medium heat stirring occasionally. Remove and let cool at room temp before refrigerating until needed. Can be frozen or made a few days ahead.

Step 4 . Cooking and Serving Ahipara Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

• Bouillabaisse Base
• Assorted Seafood...Snapper, Kahawhai, Tuatuas, Crayfish, Crab, mussels etc
• Oiled Baguette slices
• Knobs of butter
• Fresh Basil
• Rouille

Method

In a saucepan, heat up the Bouillabaisse base. Depending on cooking times add the shellfish and fish that takes longer to cook first, and the quicker to cook, add last. For instance I would add my tuatua's first, followed by my chunks of crayfish tails, (attached to the shell) then my pieces of fish fillets at the end. Remember it won't take long and the seafood will continue to cook in the hot broth.

While the seafood is cooking or prior to that, toast or grill the oiled baguette (or similar) to go along side.

Once the Ahipara Bouillabaisse is nearly ready, throw in a few knobs of butter and a couple of handfuls of chopped fresh basil.

Serve in bowls with the grilled bread. Have the rouille in a bowl on the table, with the idea being, you spread some rouille on the grilled bread and dip that into the broth while you are consuming your bowls of deliciousness!

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