Cooking School: Bouillabaisse with a Red Pepper Rouille

Ingredients

• 2  bay leaves 
• 0.3 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper 
• 60 ml olive oil extra virgin 
• 2  fennel bulb 
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
• 1.8 liters fish stock 
• 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2  garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2  leeks white finely chopped
• 250 g mayonnaise 
• 500 g mussels black scrubbed
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 800 g pangasius cut into cubes
• 2  parsnips finely chopped
• 60 ml pernod 
• 500 g prawns cleaned peeled
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 
• 250 g roasted bell pepper from a jar diced red
• 0.1 teaspoon saffron threads crumbled
• 0.3 teaspoon saffron threads 
• 6 servings salt and freshly pepper crushed
• 800 g victoria sea bass cut into cubes
• 4 sprigs thyme leaves 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 kg tomatoes ripe

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan

Directions

1. Trim the tops of the fennel, reserving trimmings for stock and fronds for serving, and chop fennel finely.
2. Heat oil into a large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add fennel, onion, parsnip, garlic, leeks and fennel seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables soften.
4. Combine saffron and 125ml warm fish stock in a small bowl and allow to steep for 10 minutes.Quarter the tomatoes, removing and discarding seeds, then chop finely.
5. Add tomato paste to vegetables in the pan and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the saffron mixture, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme and the remaining stock to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Season generously with salt. Stir in cayenne and Pernod.
7. Add the fish to the pan, then prawns, making sure the seafood is submerged in the liquid. Boil for 5 minutes or until seafood is just cooked.In the meantime place the mussels with 2 tablespoons water in a frying pan over high heat. Cover with a lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 3 minutes or until the shells open.Divide the bouillabaisse into bowls. Top with mussels and scatter with reserved fennel fronds.
8. Serve with rustic French baguette and rouille (recipe below).To make the rouille, finely chop garlic cloves with cayenne pepper and saffron in a food processor.
9. Pour the vinegar into processor and blend until almost smooth. Blend in mayonnaise scrap into a bowl then stir in the diced red pepper. Season the rouille to taste with salt and pepper.