Lunch: Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in juice
8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups clam juice or fish stock
15 mussels, cleaned and debearded
15 large (20/25-count) shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail on
15 little neck clams
1 pound halibut, cut into 4 (4-ounce) pieces
Faux Rouille, recipe follows
Bouillabaisse Variations, recipes follow

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, fennel, and garlic, and saute until the vegetables just start to brown. Add the white wine and reduce. Add the orange zest, saffron, tomatoes, potatoes, and fish stock or clam juice. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced, about 25 minutes.
Adjust the heat to medium-low and add the mussels and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and clams and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the halibut and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
Before serving, the shells will have opened and the fish will be tender and flaky. Garnish with parsley and top with the faux rouille, recipe follows.

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