Month: December 2013

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Chicken sausage with pistachios and ham


Chicken sausage with pistachios and hamServe with mushroom risotto and apples poached in red wine

CHICKEN SAUSAGEServes 4
If you wish, double or triple the recipe, make the sausages the size you want, cook the quantity you want and freeze the rest for another occasion. When needed, let defrost in the refrigerator and cook as instructed in the recipe.

The chicken:
4 free-range chicken breasts, skin and bones removed, cut into small dice
½ cup spring onions
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons/ pistachios, roughly chopped
½ cup/ white breadcrumbs
1 cup/ prosciuto, roughly chopped
pinch nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2½ cups/ fresh cream
1 egg white
1 tablespoon/45 ml olive oil

The apples in red wine:
4 cups cold water
juice of 1 lemon
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, keep whole
½ bottle red wine
4 tablespoons sugar
1 strip orange rind
2 whole cloves
¼ cinnamon stick

The risotto:
2 cups chicken stock
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for the mushrooms and onions)
150 g mixed mushrooms, finely sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil (for the risotto)
150 g Arborio rice 
2/3 cup white wine
1 tablespoon truffle trimmings (optional or use 1 teaspoon truffle oil)
½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
4 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

The chicken:

  • Process the chicken until smooth, then mix with the spring onions, garlic, coriander, pistachios, bread crumbs, prosciuto, nutmeg and salt and pepper.
  • Whisk the cream until stiff and fold into the chicken mixture.
  • Then whisk the egg white until stiff and carefully fold it also into the chicken mixture.
  • Take a large piece of foil and generously brush with some oil.  Form the chicken mixture into a cylindrical shape about 6 cm/2.5 in in diameter, then roll into sausage.  Twist the ends of the foil to seal well, then place in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

The apples:

  • Peel the apples, cut a small slice from the base of each apple so it can sit without toppling, then leave in a bowl of lemon water until ready to use. 
  • In a small saucepan big enough to fit the whole apples snugly, combine the wine, sugar, orange rind, clove and cinnamon and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Add the apples, submerging them with a round piece of parchment paper over the liquid and a small plate on top. Simmer for 25 minutes or until they are almost tender when pierced with a skewer.
  • Remove from the heat and leave the apple to cool completely in the liquid.
  • Strain about one-third of the poaching liquid and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Reduce until it becomes a syrupy glaze with a consistency of runny honey.  If it is too sticky, add a little more of the poaching liquid.

The risotto:

  • In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer.  Pour out 1 cup of the stock into a bowl with the dried mushrooms.  Set aside to soak until soft — about 15 minutes.  Keep the rest of the stock hot for the risotto.
  • Remove the soaked mushrooms from the soaking liquid and finely slice them.  Strain the soaking liquid of the mushrooms into the simmering stock.
  • In a clean saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, then add the all the mushrooms (the shiitake mushrooms included) and onion and fry until cooked.  Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
  • Wipe the saucepan and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, then add the rice and stir to coat until it is lightly toasted but not coloured.
  • Add the wine and bring to the boil until all the alcohol has evaporated. Stir in half a cup of the stock and stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Continue adding the remaining stock, half a cup at a time, to the rice whilst stirring constantly, until almost all but half a cup of stock remains. This should take about 25 minutes.
  • Add the cooked mushrooms, the onions and the balance of the stock.  Stir to heat through.  Remove from the heat, stir in the truffle trimmings (or truffle oil), the cheese and chives, and season to taste.
  • Serve immediately with the chicken sausage and poached apples and drizzle the sauce around.
Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Quail egg and prawn set in aspic molds


Serve with young salad leaves and tomato and thyme oil

Serves 4 

QUAIL'S EGG AND PRAWNS IN ASPIC

Start 24 hours before planning to serve this dish.

The aspic:
1 cup/250 ml clear fish stock, heated
4 sheets leaf gelatin, soaked in cold water and drained, or 4 teaspoons gelatin granules
1 cup/250 ml tomato water
1 teaspoon/5 ml lemon juice

The dish:
2 quail’s egg
oil for brushing the insides of the ramekins
4 small fresh dill sprigs
4 onion rings
8 small prawns, shelled, deveined, cooked and cut in half lengthwise

The garnish:
a selection of small salad leaves
tomato oil to drizzle
balsamic vinegar glaze  to drizzle

It is quite important that the stock is very clear. If the stock you will be using is not clear enough, clarify it by using the method given in the Glossary for clarifying stock.
Heat half a cup of the clarified stock and add the gelatin. Let it dissolve then add the rest of the stock and the tomato water. Leave in the refrigerator until it begins to set.

Have ready a bowl of iced water.
In a small saucepan, bring some water to a boil, enough to cover the quail’s eggs. (If one of the eggs just happens to be cracked, rub the cracked area with lemon juice or vinegar and lower the egg very gently into the water.) Boil the eggs for 1 minute, remove from the heat and leave in the hot water for 30 seconds. Transfer the eggs to the reserved iced water and leave for 1 minute, then remove and peel.
Take four ramekins of about 7 cm/2½ in diameter, brush the inside lightly with the oil and pour the stock with gelatin into each ramekin about 1 cm/0.4 in deep. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
Place a dill sprig on top of the chilled aspic in the molds, place a peeled half a boiled quail’s egg (yolk side facing down) on top of the dill, then put an onion ring on top of the quail egg. Arrange four prawn halves (cut side facing up) around each the eggs, overlapping, then slowly spoon in the rest of the stock to fill the molds, taking care not to disturb the layers. Hold any of the ingredients that tends to float down with a toothpick. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To serve:
When ready to serve, run the tip of a knife around the inside of the jelly, then briefly dip the bottom part of the ramekins in warm water and invert onto each serving plate. Place a bouquet of the salad leaves next to the mold and drizzle some of the tomato oil and balsamic vinegar glaze around. Serve immediately.

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Apple and Calvados biscuit with whipped fresh cream


This cake/tart has it’s origin in France and was originally created without the apples — a hard and dry biscuit that would last for months for the sailors at sea.  But bakers found other uses for it and it developed into this delightful soft biscuit with layers of batter and apples.

APPLE BISCUIT

You will need:
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered
45 g/1½ oz butter
2 tablespoons/30 ml Calvados (apple brandy)
200 g/7 oz flour
3 tablespoons/45 ml cornstarch
185 g/6.5 oz caster sugar
salt
2 teaspoons/10 ml cinnamon, freshly ground
1 teaspoon/5 ml vanilla extract
2 teaspoons/10 ml baking powder
½ cup/125 ml fresh orange juice
2/3 cup/150 ml peanut oil
2 eggs
45 g/1½ oz chopped almonds
icing sugar for sprinkling

Once you have scraped the seeds from the vanilla pod, store the empty pod in an airtight container filled with sugar. This will provide you with vanilla flavored sugar in just a few days.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/56°F.
Grease a 23 cm/9 in diameter cake tin.
Cut each apple quarter into 3 slices.  Melt the butter in a nonstick pan and brown the apple slices for 1 minutes on each side.  Pour the Calvados over the apples and ignite.  Shake the pan until the flame dies down and the Calvados has reduced to almost nothing, then remove the apples with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder, orange juice, oil and eggs. Mix well until the mixture is smooth, then pour one-third of the batter into the greased cake tin.

Arrange half of the apple slices on top, cover them with half of the remaining batter, then arrange the rest of the apples on top and cover with the remaining batter.  Smooth the surface with a spatula and sprinkle with the almonds.  Sprinkle the top generously with the icing sugar and bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning it out.

To serve:
Serves with custard or freshly whipped cream.

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Chicken and seafood pilaf


Serve with Chorizo sausage, tomatoes, green beans and almonds

chicken-and-prawn-pilaf4.jpgServes 4

Mussels are a delicious added ingredient, but as I am allergic to these mollusks (and so are many people), I cook them separately by adding the raw mussels to some garlic fried in butter and white wine, then I add them to the individual plates of the other guests.

The  chicken:
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 free-range chicken thighs, deboned, meat cut in bite-size pieces (reserve the bones)
1 cup brut  champagne
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken stock
10 tarragon leaves

The mushrooms:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 rashers of bacon, finely diced
½ onion, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

The stock:
30 g/1 oz butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
12 medium prawns, shelled, keep shells and reserve prawns for later use
1 cup fish stock, heated

The rest of the ingredients:
375 g/13 oz fine green beans, topped, and cut into 6 cm pieces
2 cups Basmati rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
the peeled and reserved prawns, deveined
4 Chorizo sausages, sliced 5 mm/¼ in thick

The garnish:
6 spring onions, cut into 3 cm pieces
½ cup slithered almonds, roasted
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced in small pieces
½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
¼ cup chives, finely chopped

  • In a cast-iron pan, heat the oil then add the chicken meat and bones and fry until golden brown all over. 
  • Add the champagne, seasoning and half the tarragon and cook until all the alcohol has evaporated. 
  • Add half the stock, cover the pan and simmer gently for another 30 minutes. Discard the bones.
  • Meanwhile, heat some oil in a frying pan and add the bacon, onion and garlic and cook until translucent, then add the mushrooms and cook gently until tender.
  • Remove from the pan and set aside in a warm place.
  • Wipe the frying pan and heat the butter, add the garlic and the reserved prawn shells and cook until the shells are pink and aromatic.
  • Add the rest of the chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes.  Strain the stock and discard the solids.
  • Blanch the beans in boiling salted water, refresh in iced water, drain again and set aside in a warm place.
  • Cover the rice with cold water, add salt and bring to the boil.  Cook until all the water has evaporated and the rice is tender.  Keep warm.
  • Heat a large frying pan, wok or paella pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and fry the peeled prawns for about 2 minutes.  Season well then remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.  In the same pan, lightly fry the Chorizo sausages, and set aside.

Assemble the dish:

  • Heat the same pan and add a little oil, add a third of the rice and spread over the bottom of the pan, then scatter over a third of the cooked and reserved ingredients.
  • Scatter over half the Parmesan cheese and chopped chives.
  • Then with two forks, lightly stir the mixture. Repeat the whole exercise. Lastly sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese and chopped chives over and serve.
Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Carnival fritters served with a chocolate soup


These traditional fritters are very much appreciated all around Italy during Carnival days which root back in medieval times.
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Serves 4

CARNIVAL FRITTERS

 

 

The fritters:
250 g/8 oz flour, sifted
salt
1 egg
2 egg yolks
seeds of half a vanilla pod

Once you have scraped the seeds from the vanilla pod, store it in an airtight container filled with sugar. This will provide you with vanilla flavored sugar in just a few days.

grated zest from half an orange
1 teaspoon/5 ml olive oil
2 tablespoons/30 ml milk
1 tablespoon/15 ml dark rum
25 g/0.8 oz butter, melted
oil for deep-frying
icing sugar for sprinkling

The chocolate soup:
125 g/4.5 oz dark chocolate
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon/5 ml instant coffee dissolved in
1 tablespoon/15 ml hot water
½ cup/125 ml Drambuie

Process the flour, salt, eggs, vanilla, orange zest, olive oil, milk and rum to form a dough. Cover in cling film and  refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roll out with a pasta machine until 5 mm thick.  Brush the entire length of the pasta sheet with butter, then fold in two.  Roll out again until it is 5 mm thick.  Repeat this process three times then cut into long strips of 1½ cm/0.6 in wide and cut each strip into 12 cm/4.7 in long pieces. Tie a loose knot with each piece, then working in small batches, deep-fry the pastry knots in the hot oil until golden all over.  Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.

Combine the cream and milk in a heavy, medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Add the chocolate and cook, whisking constantly until smooth, about 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the liqueur.  Cover and keep warm.

To serve:
On four plates, pile a helping of the fritters off center and sprinkle generously with the icing sugar.  Place a small dipping bowl or small coffee cup next to the fritters and fill with the chocolate soup. Serve warm.

Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Mixed mushroom soup with cream, chives and truffle oil


If you are fortunate enough to have fresh truffle or preserved truffle, add a teaspoon or two to the soup after it has been cooked.  If you cannot get hold of any form of truffle, do not deprive yourself from having this soup.  It is delicious!
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Serves 4

MUSHROOM SOUP

The soup:
40 g/1½ oz butter
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml bacon, finely chopped (ignore if you want to keep it vegetarian)
400 g/14 oz mixed fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml porcini powder
4 cups/500 ml chicken stock, heated (or vegetable stock)
4 cups/500 ml mushroom stock, heated
1 tablespoon/15 ml Za’atar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon/15 ml lemon juice

The garnish:
1 tablespoon/15 ml chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml chive oil
1 tablespoon/15 ml truffle oil
⅔ cup/160 ml yogurt cream

In a deep saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the bacon until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  In the same saucepan, add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft.  Add the mushrooms and cook until most of the juices have evaporated. Add the chicken stock and mushroom stock and bring back to the boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Pour into a liquidizer, add the fried bacon and lemon and blend until smooth.  Pass through a sieve if you wish, otherwise leave as is with a bit of a texture.  Check the seasoning.

To serve:
Ladle into four soup plates, sprinkle the chives or drizzle lightly with chive oil, then drizzle the truffle oil around,  and lastly place a dollop of the yogurt cream on top.  Serve immediately.

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Seafood pie with a golden potato crust


Served with a fennel, carrot and apple salsa and an apple juice and maple syrup dressing or pickled beetroot.

Serves 4

FISH PIE

This dish is even more tasty the next day, just reheat it in a very hot oven for 8 minutes.  If there is any leftover pie, be adventurous and convert it into a soup by liquidizing it and adding more fish- or chicken stock and cream.

The seafood:
300 g/10.5 oz three different types of firm white fish, cut into bite-size pieces
100 g/3.5 oz prawns, shelled, shells reserved for the stock
100 g/3.5 oz king crab legs, shelled, shells reserved for the stock
juice of ½ lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The stock:
25 g/0.8 oz butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
reserved prawn and crab shells
1 cup fish stock

The onion and mushroom mix:
6 cippolini onions, quartered (if cippolini onions are not available, use
shallots)
10 small button mushrooms
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons Noili Prat
dash of Tabasco (pepper sauce)

The potatoes:
300 g/10.5 oz potatoes, peeled and sliced with a mandolin to 2 mm thick slices
25 g/0.8 oz clarified butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The white sauce:
1 medium sized onion, studded with 10 whole cloves
¾ cup milk
¾ cup full cream
25 g butter
20 g flour
2 tablespoons spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F.
  • For the stock, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic. Fry for about 1 minute, taking care not to burn the garlic.
  • Add the reserved prawn and crab shells and cook gently whilst stirring – for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the fish stock and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes then turn off the heat and let the stock infuse for about half an hour. Strain and discard the solids.

  • For the onion and mushroom mix, bring the strained stock back to a boil, add the onions, mushrooms and lemon juice and season to taste.
  • When the mushrooms are tender, remove from the heat and add the Noily Prat and Tabasco. Put aside to cool.

  • For the white sauce, bring the milk and cream to the boil in a saucepan and add the onion studded with cloves. Pour it in a bowl and leave to infuse.
  • In the same saucepan, melt the butter then stir in the flour and over low heat cook whilst stirring for about 5 minutes.
  • Strain the infused milk, discard the onion and cloves, and slowly pour the hot milk into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • Add seasoning to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes. Strain the sauce, then add the chopped spring onions and parsley and put to one side.
  • Dot the surface with flakes of butter to prevent a skin from forming.
The onion can be reused (without the cloves) to make a sauce for another dish or for soup.
  • For the potatoes, blanch the potato slices in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain, plunge in iced water and set aside.

Assemble the dish:

  • Season the fish, prawns and crab meat and gently mix with the onion/mushroom mixture and the white sauce.
  • Spoon into a buttered ovenproof dish and smooth out with a spatula.
  • Carefully place the blanched potato slices like scales over the top and brush with the clarified butter.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. If the potatoes are not golden brown at the end of the cooking time, turn on the grill and brown them directly.
  • When the dish is cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes in a warm place before serving.
  • Serve with the Salad of fennel, apple and carrot salad (recipe follows).
Beetroot is also delicious with Seafood pie.  See Pickled beetroot salad with onions.

For the salad:
3 small heads of fennel, jullienned
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and jullienned
2 carrots, jullienned
½ red onion, finely diced
½ cup toasted slithered almonds, and 2 cups mixed baby salad leaves. 

For the dressing:

  • Bring ¼ cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 teaspoonl balsamic vinegar to a boil in a saucepan and reduce down to about half.
  • Remove from the heat and add the salt and pepper. Leave to cool, then whisk in 1 cup avocado oil.
  • Just before serving, gently mix all the salad ingredients and drizzle the dressing.
  • Serve immediately with the Fish pie.
Categories
STARTERS/SIDES

Pork spring rolls with Oriental dipping sauce


It is important to serve the spring rolls immediately after cooked and drained, as the vegetable filling can cause the crispy wrappers to go soggy if it sits for a while.

PORK SPRING ROLLSServes 4

The filling for these spring rolls can be made from leftover Crispy pork belly or any leftover meat from the pork dishes on this blog.

The pork spring rolls:
250 g/9 oz free-range pork, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons cabbage, julienned
2 tablespoons carrot, julienned
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh bean sprouts
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoonl chilli sauce (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
12 spring roll wrappers (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
vegetable oil for deep frying

See Safety and practical tips for deep frying

 

The dipping sauce:
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon mirin (available at well-stocked supermarkets)
black pepper to taste

The garnish:
a mixture of coriander leaves, finely sliced spring onions, sliced basil
eaves, garlic chives, etc.

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and lightly fry the pork until golden brown.  Remove from the heat, drain and set aside to cool.
  • In a bowl, mix together the pork, cabbage, carrot, spring onions, coriander, bean sprouts, sesame oil, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic and chilli sauce.
  • Place approximately one tablespoon of the pork mixture in the corner of each spring roll wrapper, and roll the wrapper, folding the edges inward to close.
  • Brush the edges of the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture and seal.
  • Heat the oil to 180° C/350° F and deep-fry the spring rolls in batches until golden brown.  Drain on kitchen paper.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients well, cover and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
Categories
SOUPS/SAUCES/CONDIMENTS

Current tart served with Creme de Casis syrup


This is a tribute to my mother for “inventing” this very special dessert  which became a big  favorite with family and friends, young and old.

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CURRENT TART

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356°F).

The base:
225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour
½ level teaspoon baking powder
225 g (8 oz) caster sugar
225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
½ cup milk and water mixed
1 large free-range egg
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

The topping:
1½ cup black currents
1 tablespoon sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Creme de Cassis
1 cup fresh cream, whipped until it forms stiff peaks

If you do not have Creme de Casis or prefer not to use alcohol, black currant syrup (similar flavor, non-alcoholic) is a good substitute, otherwise raspberry liqueur is also good.

The syrup:
½ cup sugar
juice of half a lemon
¼ cup Creme de Cassis
½ cup water

Grease a cake pan of about 22 cm (8.6 in) in diameter with a loose bottom, and then dredge all over inside with a mixture of flour and caster sugar.
Into a mixing bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Mix in the egg, butter, milk and water and whisk together until the mixture forms a smooth batter.
Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until well risen and golden.  Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes.  Remove the cake from the cake tin and leave to cool totally.
In a small saucepan bring the currents and enough water to cover it, add the sugar and bring to a boil.  Cook until the currents are nice and swollen and the sauce is syrupy (you should have about  ¾ cup/175 ml of syrup – if it is not enough, add a little bit more water), then remove from the heat and immediately add the egg yolks whilst stirring vigorously to avoid the yolks from scrambling.  It should be a creamy consistency.  Add the liqueur, reserve 4 tablespoons of the sauce, and set aside to cool completely.
In a small saucepan and over very low heat, heat all the ingredients until it becomes syrupy.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool right down to room temperature.

To assemble:
Spoon the cooked currents on top of the cake with enough syrup to soak in, then top with the whipped cream and pour the Creme de Cassis syrup around.  Cut the cake to the desired size for serving.

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Seafood soup served with garlic mayonnaise and crusty bread


Mussels are a delicious added ingredient, but as I am allergic to these mollusks (and so are many people), I cook them separately by adding the raw mussels to some garlic fried in butter and white wine, then I add them to the individual plates of the other guests.
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Serves 4

SEAFOOD SOUP

The stock:
⅓ cup/80 ml olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 rasher of bacon, finely chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon/15 ml fennel seeds
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml orange zest
8 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 tablespoon/15 ml tomato paste
1 medium-hot red chilli, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml saffron strands
1 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cups/1 liter fish stock
15 g/½ oz butter
2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
reserved shells of prawns and crab
¼ cup/60 ml white wine
1 teaspoon/5 ml oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon/5 ml  Pernod

Pernod can be quite overpowering. Add a little at a time then taste and add more if you desire.

3 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The seafood:
500 g/1 lb firm white fish
8 large prawns, shelled and de-veined, reserve shells for stock
8 calamari tubes and heads, tubes cut into rings
1 leg King crab, flesh removed and shells reserved for stock

The aïoli (garlic mayonnaise):
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic (more if you wish)
2 teaspoons/10 ml lemon juice
1 cup groundnut oil

This mayonnaise recipe contains raw eggs and is not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly or very young children.

The garnish:
2 tablespoons/30 ml fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tablespoons/30 ml dill, finely chopped
crusty white bread

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and saute the onions, bacon, leeks, celery, fennel seeds and garlic until soft.  Add the orange zest, tomatoes, tomato paste, chili, saffron, thyme, bay leaves and stock and bring to the boil.  Boil for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.

In a frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil and saute the garlic, shells of the prawns and crab until golden and aromatic.  Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce until half the wine has evaporated.  Add all the contents to the tomato mixture, strain thoroughly and discard the solids.  Add the liquid to the stock.

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the fish.  Stir fry for about 1 minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Reheat the pan (add some more oil if necessary) and add the prawns, stir fry for about 1 minute then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Repeat with the calamari rings and pieces of crab but cook this for only 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve with the rest of the seafood. 

If you find that some bits are beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, deglaze the pan with a little boiling water and empty the contents of the pan into the unstrained stock (just make sure that there are no burnt bits). Heat some more oil and fry the rest of the seafood. Repeat the process if necessary.

Deglaze the pan with one cup of the reserved stock then add to the rest of the stock.  Bring it all to a gentle simmer and stir in the oregano, Pernod, tomato, chilli and the cooked seafood.  Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a food processor, blend together the egg yolks, salt, garlic and lemon juice. Add the oil in a thin steady stream while the machine keeps running.  Continue until all the oil is incorporated.

To serve:
Serve the soup in deep bowls with the fresh coriander and dill scattered over.  Serve the crusty bread and small bowls filled with the aïoli on the side.