Bouillabaisse Marseillaise

Soup

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 medium Fennel bulb
• 2 medium Leek
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 500 g Tomato, ripe
• 1 tsp Dried saffron threads
• 1.2 liters Fish stock
• 500 g White fish fillet, skinless
• 250 g Prawns, raw
• 1 medium Lemon

Rouille toasts

• 12 slices Baguette, about 1.5 cm thick
• 120 g Mayonnaise
• 1 clove Garlic
• ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper

1. Trim the fennel and slice it thinly, reserving any feathery fronds for serving if you like. Trim and wash the leeks well, then slice. Peel the garlic; finely chop 4 cloves for the soup and keep 1 clove for the rouille.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel and leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned. Stir in the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they collapse and look jammy. Stir in the saffron threads.
4. Pour in the fish stock and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes so the broth takes on the saffron and fennel flavour. Taste and season with a little more salt if needed.
5. While the broth simmers, toast the baguette slices until golden. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the remaining garlic clove (finely grated or crushed) and the cayenne pepper. Spread the rouille on the warm toasts.
6. Cut the white fish into generous chunks. Add the fish to the simmering broth and cook for 3 minutes, then add the prawns and cook for 2 to 4 minutes more, until the prawns are pink and the fish flakes easily. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer so the fish stays tender.
7. Cut the lemon into wedges. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the rouille toasts. Squeeze lemon over each bowl just before eating.

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