Soupe de poisson, rouille and Gruyère
- Starter
- Medium
- 8
- 2 hours
PT2H
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
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 (1), 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
Equipment
- Fine chinois
- Food processor
Method
1
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
2
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
3
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
4
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
5
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
6
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 (1), or vegetable oil
- 50g of mashed potatoes
- 85ml of vegetable oil
7
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
8
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
9
To serve, reheat the soup if necessary and serve in bowls, along the with rouille, croûtons and grated Gruyère
- 250g of Gruyère , grated
Discover more:
Go to Comments
Soupe de poisson, rouille and Gruyère
