Bouillabaisse

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 stalk(s) leek, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bulb(s) fennel with greens, halved (pick off the greens)
• 500 g fish fillet(s), mixed, firm-fleshed sea fish
• possibly shrimp(s)
• 0.1 g saffron threads
• 1 tsp anise (whole)
• 1 jar Noilly Prat
• 425 ml fish stock
• 400 ml vegetable stock
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• possibly mussel(s)
• Sea salt
• Pepper, white
• oregano
• savory
• Thyme
• Bay leaf
• Chili pepper(s), dried
• possibly potatoes approx. 200 g

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

fish soup

Heat a large pot. When the pot is hot, add a generous amount of olive oil until lightly smoking. Fry the onions and garlic, stirring, until translucent. Then stir in the tomato paste and fry. Now add the anise and deglaze everything with half of the Noilly Prat. When the liquid has almost completely evaporated, add the vegetables (fennel, carrot, and leek) and fry. If desired, you can also add 200g of sliced ​​potatoes for a more substantial soup. After about 2 minutes, add the fish stock, vegetable broth, vermouth (the rest), and the can of tomatoes. Add the bay leaf, saffron, and season generously with the aforementioned spices. Don’t skimp on the sea salt and ground chili. Simmer everything for about 25 minutes. Then remove the anise and bay leaf and add the roughly chopped fish (and possibly the mussels and shrimp). Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Don’t overcook, as this will ruin the beautiful fish! Serve in deep plates and serve with baguette and basil pesto or aioli. This isn’t an original recipe, of course, but it tastes really good! Editor’s note: For her bouillabaisse, Viki uses 1 cod loin (approx. 120 g), 1 redfish fillet (approx. 150 g), 1 salmon fillet (approx. 150 g), 1 pike-perch fillet (approx. 100 g), 3 shrimp, approx. 8 mussels, and 200 g of mostly waxy, diced potatoes. She also uses market-fresh chili instead of dried chili peppers. Viki’s tip: The fennel greens can be used with a little olive oil and lemon juice to create a tasty little fennel salad, which visually enhances the bouillabaisse as a garnish.