No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Bouillabaisse, A French Seafood Soup
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2 TB Olive Oil
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2 Cups Chopped Red Onion
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1 Cup EACH, Chopped Celery, Fennel and Carrot
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1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
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1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
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2 TB Minced or Grated Garlic
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1/2 Cup Dry Vermouth or White Wine
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1/2 Tsp *Saffron
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3 (15 OZ) Cans Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
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3 Cups Clam Juice
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4 LBS Fish or Shellfish of your choice, cut in bite sized pieces
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1/2 Cup Chopped Parsley Lemon Wedges
Step One
Add the oil to large heavy stockpot or dutch oven. When warm, stir in the onion, celery, fennel and carrot along with the salt and pepper. Cook over and stir occasionally over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until very soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute until fragrant.
Step Two
Stir the saffron into the vermouth and add both to the pot, along with the tomatoes and clam juice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking for about 15 minutes.
Step Three
Add the fish and shellfish. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through. Remove from the heat and stir the parsley through the soup. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
No. 2 : Kitchen Scoop
*Spain, Morocco, Greece and India are just a few countries that produce saffron, an expensive spice with a distinctive strong flavor. Why so expensive? Between 50 and 75,000 saffron crocus flowers are required to produce 1LB of the dried spice!
No. 3 : Clever Idea
If you’ve never tasted fennel be- fore, you’re in for a crunchy treat. A flowering plant in the carrot family, its bright crisp texture brings more flavor AND a little more nutrition to salads, soups and stir fries. If you’re using celery for a recipe - try substituting fennel instead! To get a quick primer on how to chop or slice fennel, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBlqSuerwIw
No. 4 : Cheers!
Sauvion Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine
Loire Valley France
Whole Foods $16.00
Dry, snappy and crisp are three perfect words to describe this refreshing white wine from the western end of the Loire Valley. Made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape (or simply Melon, if you’re in the know!), this wine is bright, lively and made for food. Sèvre-et-Maine tells us the appellation and where the wine comes from, while Sauvion is the producer. Pour it with seafood, bouillabaisse or dishes with a little spice— it’s a delicious match!