Bouillabaisse is the combination of a broth, fish, seafood, fresh croûton, and sauce (Rouille). While the list of ingredients may suggest a daunting task ahead, the recipe is actually not very difficult and both the broth and the sauce can be made ahead of time. If you have guests coming for dinner, you could have the broth and sauce prepared and kept cold and you will only need to spend time in the kitchen to cook the fish, the seafood, the croûtons and assemble it all.

Bouillabaisse is the traditional fish soup from Marseille, a sea port located in the South of France. While the original recipe requires the use of fish found only in the Mediterranean sea, Le Sélect's adaptation has taken great care to ensure that, in replacing fishes with Atlantic species, it remained faithful to the genuine dish.

Serves 8

For the broth

• 1/3 cup virgin olive oil
• 1 onion
• 3 ribs of celery
• 1 large carrot
• 1/2 bulb of fennel
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 1/4 tsp saffron
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup Pernod
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of dry fish stock
• 64 oz water

For the Rouille (sauce)

• 1 red pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 cup virgin olive oil
• 1/4 lemon (or the equivalent in juice)
• Tabasco

For the Fish and Seafood

• 16 large prawns
• 16 scallops
• 1 lb red snapper
• 1 lb halibut or turbot
• 1 lb of red tuna
• 1 lb mussels (rinced and cleaned)
• 1/4 cup Pernod

Garnish

• 1/2 cup grated Emmenthal
• 8 fresh buttery croûtons (baguette sliced diagonally)
• 8 tbsp Rouille (see below for preparation)
• 8 small new potatoes (boiled)
• 3 tbsp fresh sweet basil chopped
• 2 tomatoes (pulp removed and cut in Julienne strips)

PREPARATION

Broth

1- Chop garlic and thyme. Slice all the other vegetables in Julienne strips. Heat the olive oil, sweat the onions, celery, carrot and fennel. Add the garlic, saffron, thyme and peppers and continue sweating until the onions are cooked but remain clear.

2- Deglaze with Pernod. Add the tomato paste, stir and mix well. Pour the wine in and reduce by half. Add the water in which the dry fish stock has been diluted. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3- Add the mussels and cook until they open. Remove the mussels from the broth.

Rouille

1- Roast or grill the red pepper at 450°F for 15 minutes or until the skin is blistered all over. Cool in a bowl of cold water, dry and then peel. Remove all seeds.

2- Purée in food processor and add egg and garlic. Slowly add the olive oil in a thin steady stream until the oil is all gone and the mixture has a consistency of Mayonnaise.

3- Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and a drop or two of Tabasco.

Fish and seafood

1- Cut the snapper, tuna and halibut into 1¨ pieces. Rub all the fish and seafood with olive oil.

Final Assembly

1- Heat olive oil in a large skillet with a thick bottom. Quickly sear fish and seafood in pan. Season with salt and pepper.

2- Deglaze with Pernod.. Please note that the fish and seafood will continue cooking in the broth. They must therefore just be seared and not cooked through.

3- Add the broth (hot) and the potatoes and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.

4- In a separate pan, cook the sliced baguette at medium heat in butter and olive oil until the croûton is crisp and has reached a nice golden brown colour.

5- Place the broth and fish in large soup plates. Remove the mussels from their shells. Garnish with the new potatoes, sprinkle with grated Emmenthal, place the mussels at the surface and randomly drop strips of peeled tomatoes.

6- Place one large crispy croûton rubbed with a half garlic glove in the center of the plate. Crown with a dollop of Rouille on top, sprinkle some fresh chopped basil, and serve.