BOURRIDE FISH SOUP

A-Z Soup

If you enjoy foods like cioppino or bouillabaisse, you will likely be content to eat a bowl of bourride (boo reed). This Mediterranean fish soup, a classic dish from the Provence region of France is thick like a stew and makes a wonderful one dish meal with crusty bread and an accompanying, garlic- mayonnaise thickening called aioli.  The fish soup bourride is simple to prepare and leisurely to make. The garlic, shallots et al sautéed in olive oil with tomatoes, herbs, orange rind, wine and fish stock impart a lovely aroma in your kitchen. The resulting liquid is the foundation of a fish poaching that leads to a fantastic bourride. You could serve this with boiled potatoes and French bread slices with aioli and make a grand robust meal.

Adapted from:  Soup, Coralie Castle, Cole Group

Make the garlic mayonnaise (Aioli)     1 cup

4 cloves garlic

2 egg yolks

1/8^th teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons quality olive oil

Crush and mash the garlic with a rolling pin or mortar and pestle or back of a sturdy spoon.

Put the garlic in a bowl and stir in the yolks.

Stir in the salt.

While whisking or stirring, add the oil very slowly, almost drop y drop

Keep stirring and adding oil until thick mayonnaise is achieved

If not used right away, cover and refrigerate.

The Bourride:                                    Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 Cups water

1 ½ Cups chopped onion

2 Tomatoes

3 Sprigs parsley

1 Sprig oregano

1 Bay leaf

6 Coriander seeds

1 Cup chopped celery

3 Garlic cloves

Peel from ½ orange

1 teaspoon salt

4 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Pinch of Saffron threads

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Pounds assorted fish filets, such as cod, flounder, bass, red snapper etc. (About 3 filets)

6 slices stale or dry French bread

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Egg Yolks, beaten

The aioli sauce

Method:

• In a big pot, put the first 14 ingredients (water, vegetables, seasonings and oil) and bring to a boil.

• Lower the flame and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Wrap the fish filets in cheesecloth, raise the flame, and lower the filets into the liquid.

• Poach for 10 minutes at a simmer.

• Place a slice of bread into each of the 6 bowls.

• Put ½ of a filet atop each bread slice and cover to keep warm.

• Strain the stock in the pot.

• Taste and adjust salt and pepper

• Whisk a 1/2 cup of soup into the egg yolks and then stir back into the pot.

• Ladle the soup into the bowls

• Put 1 tablespoon of the aioli sauce on top of each bowl.

Try a bowl of bourride; it is a fine aromatic, poached, fish soup.