The ninth B.C. Shellfish Festival takes place soon. Reading about this tasty series of events immediately made me want to cook local shellfish. Today’s recipe is the result.
I hadn’t made bouillabaisse for a while and decided it would be the perfect dish to stock with local seafood. The recipe I created serves two; perfect for a couple wanting to simmer up a special late-spring meal.
Bouillabaisse is a seafood stew originating from the southern coastal French city of Marseille. You make it by flavouring a broth with things such as tomato, olive oil, orange, garlic, fennel and saffron. Seafood is added to this aromatic mixture and when cooked, your bouillabaisse is ready to serve.
For my bouillabaisse, I included B.C. clams, mussels, spot prawns and fish, which could be halibut, salmon or snapper (rockfish).
When purchasing fresh mussels and clams, choose those that have tightly closed shells or shells that close tightly when squeezed or tapped. If the shell doesn’t close or if it’s cracked, it means the mussel or clam is dead and should not be purchased.
When you’re ready to cook the mussels and clams, rinse them thoroughly in cold water and pull off any beard-like material attached to the shells of the mussels.
Examine them again and discard any with shells that do not close tightly when squeezed or tapped.
Spot prawn tails are expensive these days, thanks in large part to high demand for them in places such as Asia. That said, they are a real treat and my recipe calls for only eight of them.
Spot prawns can be purchased at some supermarkets, seafood stores and directly off fishing boats. For a list of the latter, go to wildbcspotprawns.com. When purchasing, opt for spot-prawn tails that feel firm, are not overly curled and smell of the sea with no hint of ammonia.
When buying the fish, opt for a firm-looking fillet that glistens with freshness; steer clear of those that are falling apart and/or are dry and dull looking.
With all the seafood items you’ll need for the bouillabaisse, it’s best to buy them the day you make the dish. However, if they’re very fresh, you could store them up to a day in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
West Coast-style Bouillabaisse
This hearty bouillabaisse for two is stocked with B.C. seafood. Serve it with toasted slices of baguette and rouille (see recipe below)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: About 40 minutes
Makes: Two servings
8 spot prawn tails
3 cups chicken or seafood stock
or clam nectar (see Note)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 ripe, medium on-the-vine tomatoes, halved, seeds removed, fleshed chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp saffron threads
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/8 tsp fennel seeds
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste
1/3 lb. halibut, cod or snapper fillets,
cut into small cubes
8 to 10 fresh mussels
8 to 10 fresh manila clams
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or tarragon
Peel each prawn, leaving the tip of the tail attached. Set prawns on a small plate, cover and refrigerate until needed. Place the shells in a pot with the stock or clam nectar, bring to a very gentle simmer (small bubbles should just break on the surface), and cook for 20 minutes. Strain this prawn-flavoured stock into a bowl; discard the shells.
Heat the oil in a medium pot set over medium heat. (My pot was about 21 centimetres wide.) Add the garlic and onion and cook until tender, about five minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, prawn stock, saffron, orange zest and fennel seeds. Bring to a gently simmer and cook 10 minutes and then taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Add prawns, fish, mussels and clams, cover and cook until the clams and mussels open and the prawns and fish are cooked, about four minutes. Divide seafood among shallow, heated bowls and then ladle over broth. Sprinkle with parsley or tarragon and serve.
Note: Seafood stock, such as Kitchen Basics brand, is sold in Tetra Pak containers in the tinned soup aisle of some supermarkets. Clam nectar is sold in cans in the tinned seafood aisle of most
supermarkets.
Quick Roasted Red Pepper Rouille
Rouille is a condiment often spooned into bouillabaisse at the table. This quick-to-make version sees all the ingredients quickly whirled to together in a food processor or blender. It will yield more rouille than you'll need for the bouillabaisse, but the rest can be refrigerated for up to a week and used as a dip for grilled fish or prawns or raw vegetables. It can also be used as a sandwich spread.
Preparation time: Two minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: About one cup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 medium roasted red pepper (see Note)
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
1 slice white bread, torn in pieces
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Place all ingredients in a food processor, or in the cup that came with you immersion (hand) blender, and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with bouillabaisse.
Note: Roasted red peppers are sold in jars in the pickle aisle of most supermarkets.
Eric Akis is the author of The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
