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1
To make the fish soup, place all the fish bones and scraps, along with the crabs, in a large piece of cheesecloth and tie securely.
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2
Heat the oil in a 10- to 12-quart pot.
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3
Add the fennel, leeks, onion, shallots and garlic along with the eel and sea robin fillets and cook slowly, until the vegetables are tender.
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4
Add the wine.
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5
Place the bag of fish bones and the bouquet garni in the pot and add the tomatoes, tomato paste and water to completely cover the fish bones.
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6
Season lightly with cayenne pepper and salt.
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7
Bring to a simmer and cook very slowly for two and a half hours.
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8
Remove the bag of fish bones and the bouquet garni and drain well.
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9
Pass the soup mixture through a food mill, add the saffron, place in a large saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes to reduce it further.
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10
Adjust the seasonings.
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11
Strain through several thicknesses of cheesecloth.
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12
There should be between two and a half and three quarts.
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13
This soup can be prepared in advance and frozen.
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14
To make the stew, heat two cups of the fish soup in a saucepan and cook the potatoes in it until they are tender.
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15
Drain the potatoes and wrap in foil to keep warm.
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16
Transfer the fish soup used for the potatoes to a three-quart saucepan and place the mussels and clams in it.
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17
Steam the mussels and clams, covered, until they just open.
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18
Remove from the heat and keep covered.
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19
Place the remaining fish soup in a saucepan just large enough to hold all the rest of the seafood.
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20
Heat to just barely simmering, add the remaining seafood and cook until just done, removing each type of seafood to a warm dish as it is cooked.
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21
To serve the bouillabaisse, divide the potato rounds among four shallow, warmed soup plates.
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22
Arrange the cooked fish over the potatoes, then divide the mussels and clams, with the top shells removed, among the four plates.
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23
Stir some of the soup used to poach the seafood into the rouille, then wisk the rouille back into the soup.
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24
Bring to barely simmering, then pour over the seafood in the plates and serve with croutons.