Serves 4 | start to finish: 1 hour, 10 minutes
[twocolumns]for the stew
1 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, washed and sliced into rings
1 bulb fennel, diced
1 bulb garlic, cloves peeled and chopped
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
2 quarts fish stock (or use water if necessary)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon saffron threads
2-3 tablespoons Pernod, Ricard, or other anise flavored liquor (optional)
Basic Fish Mixture
for the rouille
1 slice soft white bread
1/2 cup milk
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small roasted red peppers (from a jar is fine)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 large pinch saffron
3/4 to 1 cup olive oil
salt to taste
slices of grilled or toasted baguette
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Begin by making the stew. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot set over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, fennel, and garlic and simmer slowly until the vegetables are tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and fish stock and simmer gently for another 15 minutes.
While the vegetables simmer, make the rouille. Tear up the bread and soak it in the milk for a few minutes. Squeeze out excess milk and place the bread in the blender. Press the garlic through a garlic press directly into the blender. Add the red peppers, cayenne, and saffron to the blender and blend to a smooth paste. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil very slowly as you would to make mayonnaise. When the rouille has reached a smooth, creamy consistency, add the salt and pepper to taste. Place the rouille in a small bowl to pass at the table.
Purée the simmered vegetables with an immersion blender or pass it through a chinois to obtain a smooth soup. Return the puréed mixture to the pot, salt and pepper to taste, and add the orange peel and saffron.
Add the Basic Fish Mixture and simmer over very low heat just until the clam and mussel shells are open and the fish flakes easily. Don’t overcook the fish, you want it to just barely be cooked through. Taste again for salt and pepper, and add the Pernod if you like.
Ladle the bouillabaisse into shallow bowls and serve with the grilled baguette slices and the rouille on the side.