Cooking class: Mediterranean Seafood Soup with Rouille

With lots of seafood and fish and plenty of potatoes and tomatoes, this bouillabaisse-inspired Mediterranean soup-stew combines the wonders of the sea and the goodness of the garden in a light, thin broth. Flavourful and authentic, one-pot cooking has never tasted so good or been so easy. Turn the page for simple instructions.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp (2 mL) saffron threads
2 tbsp (25 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek (white part only), trimmed and chopped
Half fennel bulb, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated orange rind
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
2 cans (each 28 oz/796 mL) tomatoes, drained and chopped
3 cups (750 mL) fish stock
1 lb (500 g) potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 lb (1 kg) mussels and/or clams, scrubbed
1 lb (500 g) firm fish fillets (monkfish, cod, halibut, red snapper), cut in chunks
1 lb (500 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh parsley

Rouille:
2 cups (500 mL) cubed (1 inch/2.5 cm) country bread
1/4 cup (50 mL) dry white wine
1 tsp (5 mL) saffron threads
3 tbsp (50 mL) light mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and hot pepper flakes
1/3 cup (75 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Click here to get step-by-step directions with images.

1. Rouille: In bowl, soak bread in wine for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in small dish, soak saffron in 1 tbsp (15 mL) hot water for 5 minutes.

2. In food processor, purée together bread and saffron mixtures, mayonnaise, garlic, salt and hot pepper flakes until smooth. With machine running, pour in oil in thin steady stream until creamy. Refrigerate.

3. Soak saffron in 1/4 cup (50 mL) hot water; set aside. In large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; cook leek, fennel, garlic and oregano for 5 minutes. Add red pepper, wine, orange rind and salt; cover and cook for 10 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes, stock and saffron mixture; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender; drain and add to soup.

5. Add mussels and fish, stirring gently; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add shrimp; cook for about 5 minutes or until mussels open, fish is opaque and shrimp are pink.

6. Discard any mussels that do not open. Gently stir in parsley. Ladle soup into warmed bowls. Add dollop of rouille to each serving.

Makes 6 servings

Per serving: about 482 cal, 32 g pro, 23 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 34 g carb, 5 g fibre, 117 mg chol, 1,556 mg sodium. % RDI: 12% calcium, 39% iron, 26% vit A, 112% vit C, 30% folate.