Bouillabaisse-inspired Fish Soup

A classic bouillabaisse has a complex stock made from rock fish that can take a while to prepare. This recipe uses ready-made fish stock, which does just as well and makes it so much easier to pull off a delicious fish soup. You can change up the fish and seafood you use depending on what you like to eat.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large saute pan (with a lid) over medium heat, then fry the onion, celery, and fennel for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute, then season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Add the tomatoes, smoked paprika, star anise, saffron and tomato purée. Stir in and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened.

Step 3

Add 2 tablespoons of the pastis and cook until the liquid has reduced down, then add the remaining tablespoon.

Step 4

Add a squeeze of lemon, then pour in 100ml of the white wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Pour in the stock and diced potato, cover with a lid, and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes while you cook the mussels.

Step 5

Place a saucepan over high heat. Add the mussels to the hot pan, then add the remaining 75ml wine, cover with a lid, and cook for 4 minutes, or until all the shells have opened. Discard any that remain closed.

Step 6

Add the mussel cooking liquid to the soup and remove the star anise. At this point, you can take the soup off the heat and blend if you prefer a smooth soup.

Step 7

Add the salmon and hake to the soup, along with the mussels (some in their shells, some out of their shells for texture). Simmer for 2-3 minutes, just to poach the fish until cooked.

Step 8

Stir the parsley, then ladle the soup into bowls, being sure to evenly distribute the hake, salmon, and mussels. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to finish.