Simplified French Bouillabaisse
This legendary fish soup from Marseille, France, is famous for its rich seafood broth and variety of fish. This simplified home version retains its essence—the saffron aroma and the garlicky rouille sauce. Your Geedel food chopper efficiently prepares both the smooth vegetable paste for the soup base and the velvety rouille, making this classic dish much more approachable.
Ingredients:
For the soup base:
1 onion
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
2 garlic cloves
1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
4 cups fish stock or seafood broth
1 strip of orange zest
1 bay leaf
A pinch of saffron threads
Salt and pepper
Olive oil for sautéing
For the seafood:
300g mixed seafood (e.g., firm white fish fillets, cut into chunks; shrimp; mussels)
For the Garlic Rouille:
1 egg yolk
1 garlic clove
¼ tsp saffron threads (steeped in 1 tbsp hot water)
½ cup olive oil
Salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Flavorful Base:
Roughly chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Fit the chopping blade into your Geedel manual vegetable chopper. Add all the vegetables, secure the lid, and rotate the handle continuously until a very fine, almost paste-like consistency is achieved.
In a soup pot, sauté the vegetable paste in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the diced tomatoes, orange zest, bay leaf, and saffron (with its soaking water), and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the fish stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Make the Garlic Rouille:
Clean the chopper container and fit it with the mixing paddle. Add the egg yolk, garlic clove, and the steeped saffron (along with its water). Rotate the handle to combine.
With the handle rotating continuously, very slowly drizzle the olive oil into the container through the feed chute in a thin, steady stream until the sauce emulsifies and thickens to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
3. Cook the Seafood:
Add the mixed seafood to the simmering soup base. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and any shellfish have opened.
4. To Serve:
Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with toasted slices of baguette, generously spread with the garlic rouille.
Summary:
This simplified bouillabaisse is still deeply flavorful. The velvety vegetable paste made by the Geedel vegetable chopper is key to the soup's rich body, while its powerful emulsifying function is the secret to successfully replicating the classic French rouille. It allows you to enjoy a taste of Mediterranean luxury right at home.
