12 August 2014

Home cooking a French Bouillabaisse recipe (10 Aug 2014)


Tasty Seafood Bouillabaisse

So this is the remains of my bouillabaisse I cooked for the first time. I was hoping to have shared lots of preparation and ingredients photos, cooking stages and final dish presentation but sadly I stupidly deleted my photos before checking I had downloaded them which I thought I did — Silly Simon! What I can tell you is I based it on the simple recipe shown on Food Safari by Chef Guillaume Brahimi and it's great to watch the short video to see how it all comes together. I didn't use any saffron, orange zest, fresh thyme and Pernod because I didn't have them but it still tasted pretty good. I used Campbell's Real Stock Fish from Coles and a Bouillabaise Seafood Pack from Cleanfish Australia of Diamond Clams, Kinkawooka Mussels, Banana Prawns, Tiger Flathead cutlet, Norwegian Cod cutlet

An important lesson I learnt is if you try and blend a hot liquid in a blender with the lid firmly on it will explode on you plus all over your bench and kitchen wall — f*ck! I used a large Le Creuset casserole pot to cook and simmer the ingredients which worked a treat. Straining the blended liquid was a potentially messy exercise but well worth the process in learning how effective it is to create a flavoursome soup base. I enjoyed the final soup with store bought Coles garlic bread (the more expensive butter version and not the cheaper Smart Buy margarine one) which was great for dipping. I definitely feel more confident in cooking a bouillabaisse again. There was lots of mess made but I'll know how to do it better next time, and hopefully will keep the photos too.



4 comments:

Sara | Belly Rumbles said...

You did well, the remains even look scrumptious, and I really want to get to Cleanfish. My tip to you, stick blenders for soup (is the only way I blend hot soup). We have all had the exploding hot liquid thing happen once, and we don't do it again. Stick blenders rock with hot liquids, trust me :)

Olivia @ mademoiselleinsydney said...

Ha ha! I did the blender + hot liquid And it wasn't pretty!! No Pernod And no saffron?? Don't know whether you get the bouillabaisse label ;) - I use Ricard instead of Pernod and if you have some fennel or anything that tastes liquorish-like it's ok!

Padaek said...

Lol - I've had many soup/blender accidents in the past. I agree with Sarah - the hand blender works well and to just start slow. I think your one photo says it all!! :)

Simon Leong said...

hi sara, it's a great place to visit. i got there late so not as much seafood left but the earlier the better if you go. thanks for the tip about the stick blender.

hi olivia, definitely not a pretty thing. spent so much time cleaning it up hehe. nup so pernod or saffron. might have made it even better but tasted pretty good without.

hi padaek, thanks for the blending tip :-)

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