Soupe de Poisson Recipe with Rouille and Gruyère

This classic soupe de poisson recipe comes with all of the customary trimmings, including homemade croutons, grated Gruyère and a thick, delicious rouille. The addition of harissa and mashed potatoes to the rouille –in place of the traditional cayenne and breadcrumbs – may startle purists, but the warmly-spiced, delightfully lustrous sauce works perfectly with this heady French soup.

Ingredients

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Soupe de poisson

1.1kg red mullet, gurnard, rascasse or other mixed Mediterranean fish, cleaned
1 pinch of saffron strands
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
4 tbsp of olive oil
90g of carrots, chopped
20g of celery, chopped
20g of fennel, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, lightly crushed
80g of onion, chopped
25g of leek, chopped
20ml of Armagnac
40ml of Pernod
100g of plum tomatoes, halved and deseeded
60g of tomato purée
2l chicken stock
1 waxy potato, approximately 60g, diced
lemon juice
salt

For the rouille

1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp harissa
1 pinch of saffron strands
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
85ml of pomace oil, or vegetable oil
85ml of vegetable oil
50g of mashed potatoes

For the croûtons

1/4 baguette
1 tbsp of olive oil

To serve

250g of Gruyère, grated

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Fine chinois
Food processor

Begin by making the fish soup. Ensure the fish have been thoroughly scaled and cleaned, then drain in a colander and place into a bowl with the saffron, cayenne and half of the olive oil. Place the bowl in the fridge and leave to marinate overnight

1.1kg red mullet, gurnard, rascasse or other mixed Mediterranean fish, cleaned
1 pinch of saffron strands
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil

Remove the marinated fish from the fridge and drain, using a colander placed over a bowl to retain the liquid from the fish. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish until golden

1 tbsp of olive oil

Meanwhile, place a large saucepan on the hob until it gets very hot, then add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Fry the carrot, celery, fennel, garlic, onion and leek until they’re golden brown in colour

1 tbsp of olive oil
90g of carrots, chopped
20g of celery, chopped
80g of onion, chopped
20g of fennel, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, lightly crushed
25g of leek, chopped

Add the Armagnac and Pernod to the pan, setting the alcohol alight with a match - take care at this stage as the flames may flare up quite high. Add the plum tomatoes and tomato purée, stir well and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat. Add the fried fish, drained marinade, stock and diced potato and bring the soup to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 90 minutes

20ml of Armagnac
40ml of Pernod
100g of plum tomatoes, halved and deseeded
60g of tomato purée
2l chicken stock
1 waxy potato, approximately 60g, diced

Once the soup has simmered, pour into a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth, including the fish bones. Pass the blended soup through a fine sieve into a clean pan, season with lemon juice and salt to taste and set aside until serving

To make the rouille, combine the egg yolk, harissa, saffron and garlic in a food processor, slowly adding the pomace oil (as if making a mayonnaise). Add the mashed potato to the rouille mixture, blend until smooth, and then gradually mix in the vegetable oil in the same manner. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice, adding a little warm water if the consistency is too thick

1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp harissa
1 pinch of saffron strands
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
85ml of pomace oil, or vegetable oil
50g of mashed potatoes
85ml of vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

For the croûtons, slice the baguette into 2mm thick pieces and place the slices onto a baking tray. Drizzle over the olive oil and bake for approximately 7 minutes - the croûtons should be crisp and golden in colour when ready

1/4 baguette
1 tbsp of olive oil

To serve, reheat the soup if necessary and serve in bowls, along the with rouille, croûtons and grated Gruyère

250g of Gruyère, grated

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Galvin brothers

Chris and Jeff Galvin have spearheaded the revival of high quality French bistro cuisine in the UK, offering affordable luxury, family hospitality and ingredient-led, seasonal menus across their restaurant empire.

Soupe de poisson, rouille and Gruyère

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