Bouillabaisse with cock crab and poached lobster

by Phil Fanning
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servings6
2 hours

Ingredients

Bouillabaisse

  • 1.5kg red mullet, or gurnard
  • 1 pinch of saffron
  • 1/2 orange, peel only
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
  • 25ml of olive oil
  • 1/2 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
  • 75g of fennel, sliced thinly
  • 175g of large onion, finely sliced
  • 500g of vine tomatoes, chopped
  • 55g of tomato purée
  • 2l water
  • 25ml of Pernod
  • 1/2 lemon, juice only
  • 12g of salt

Confit fennel

  • 1 fennel, 1cm dice
  • 200ml of olive oil
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pinch of salt

Semi-dried tomatoes

  • 6 plum tomatoes, ripe vine
  • fresh thyme
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • sugar
  • 25ml of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for storing tomatoes

Aioli

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 50g of King Edward potatoes
  • 1/4 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pinch of saffron
  • 10ml of whole milk
  • 10ml of lemon juice
  • 38ml of olive oil
  • salt

Garnish

  • 1.5kg cock crab
  • 2 lobsters
  • 1 tsp fennel pollen
  • 1 handful of fennel cress

Method

1
Clean the fish by removing the eyes, guts and gills from and then chop into 3cm pieces. Rinse thoroughly under running water for up to one hour. Drain then pat dry. Put the fish, saffron, thyme, cayenne, garlic, orange peel and olive oil into a metal bowl and mix well. Cover with cling film and leave to marinade for 12 hours
  • 1.5kg red mullet
  • 1 pinch of saffron
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 garlic clove
  • 1/2 large orange
2
Remove the marinated fish from the refrigerator and begin the bouillabaisse. Place a large pan on a medium heat with a small amount of olive oil and sweat the fennel and onions until soft with no colour
  • 175g of large onion
  • 75g of fennel
3
Add the tomato purée and chopped tomato, gently cook until all the moisture has been cooked out, approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside for later use
  • 500g of vine tomatoes
  • 55g of tomato purée
4
Heat a large high-sided, non-stick roasting tray in an oven set to 180°C/gas mark 4 with a little oil. Add the marinated fish and roast until all the moisture has evaporated and the fish is starting to gently colour. Transfer the fish to a saucepan and add the fennel mixture
5
Add the water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and blitz for up to 5 minutes to make a rough purée. Pass the soup through a fine sieve and be sure to push through as much of the mixture as possible. Add the lemon juice, Pernod and salt to finish
  • 2l water
  • 25ml of Pernod
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 12g of salt
6
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4. Bake the King Edward potatos until soft. Pass through a drum-sieve, while it is still hot, and combine 50g of potato with the milk, saffron, lemon juice, egg yolk and garlic into a small bowl. Mix well
  • 50g of King Edward potatoes
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 garlic clove
  • 1 pinch of saffron
  • 10ml of whole milk
  • 10ml of lemon juice
7
Slowly whisk in the olive oil in a steady stream, as if you were making a mayonnaises. Season to taste with salt then transfer into a piping bag
  • 38ml of olive oil
  • salt
8
For the semi-dried tomatoes, use a small knife to remove the core and slice a shallow cross in the opposite end. Blanch the tomatoes for 10 seconds in boiling water and refresh in ice water to remove the skin
  • 6 plum tomatoes
9
Cut into quarters, remove the seeds and spread the tomato petals (flesh) onto a parchment lined tray. Evenly coat the tomatoes with the olive oil, sugar, salt, thyme and ground black pepper
  • 25ml of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • sugar
  • fresh thyme
  • black pepper
10
Place into the oven at 100˚C until ½ dehydrated. Store by placing the tomatoes in a suitable container and covering with olive oil
11
Preheat the oven to 150˚C/gas mark 2. For the confit fennel, combine all the ingredients into a small baking dish and cover with foil, place into the oven for 30-40 minutes
  • 1 fennel
  • 200ml of olive oil
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pinch of salt
12
To prepare the crab, bring a large pan of water to the boil then drop in the crab. Bring back to the simmer and cook gently for 12 minutes. Remove from the water and refresh into ice water
13
When the crab is completely cold, pick all the meat from the crab, season with salt, lemon and olive. Wrap the mixture in cling film and roll into a tight sausage. Refrigerate until ready to use
  • 1.5kg cock crab
14
To prepare the lobster, twist the tails off the lobster and tie the two tails together, head to tail so they keep each other straight. Drop into water at 80˚C for 2 minutes, then refresh into ice water. Remove the tails from their shells, remove the top and bottom to create an even shape
  • 2 lobsters
15
Wrap in cling film and wrap into a tight sausage, poach the lobster in water at 56˚C for 20 minutes. Remove from the water and refrigerate until ready for use
16
Before serving, reheat the bouillabaisse and season with a little aioli. Whisk the soup to emulsify and create a little foam and pour into a serving jug
17
Slice the lobster tail and crab into chunks and warm gently under a grill set to a low temperature.
18
Divide the crab and lobster into bowls and add the diced confit fennel, dried tomato petals, aioli, fennel cress and a pinch of fennel pollen. Serve with the jug of bouillabasse
  • 1 handful of fennel cress
  • 1 tsp fennel pollen