Max Coen's recipe for bouillabaisse yields a beautiful, classic soup that pairs perfectly with delicate John Dory fillets. The fish is cooked gently over a live fire for an added smoky flavour, and is topped with simply-cooked clams and a makrut lime chicken sauce. We'd recommend making this dish over several days, as the bouillabaisse simmers for 5 hours.
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan
Crush the langoustine heads slightly, then transfer to a tray with the langoustine shells. Drizzle with a generous amount of oil
Roast until well browned, about 45 minutes
Meanwhile, heat a generous amount of oil in a large pan. Add the fennel, celery, carrots, shallots, ginger and garlic, and cook over a medium heat until softened, about 15-20 minutes
Toast the peppercorns and spices – apart from the pul biber
Add them to the vegetables along with the pul biber, brandy, rum and white wine. Turn up the heat and cook until the alcohol has almost completely reduced
Add the tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes to caramelise the paste
Once the langoustine has roasted, deglaze the roasting trays with water. Scrape the trays well to remove all the coating from on the bottom of the trays; this is where the flavour lies
Add the langoustines and all the contents of the roasting tray to the pot with the vegetables, as well as the smoked haddock and red mullet frames
Finally, add the chopped tomatoes, thyme and saffron
Add water until the ingredients are just covered, then bring to a simmer. Cook over a low heat for 5 hours
Hand blend everything in the pan until fine, including the shells. Pass this through a perforated gastro or large colander into another container, pushing through as much as you can
Pass the strained liquid through a chinois squeezing as much liquid out as possible
Blend this with the butter and olive oil and season with salt and lemon juice to taste
For the chicken wing sauce, wash the clams under running water, then soak them in salted ice water for 30 minutes so they purge all the sand. Rinse with cold water and set aside in the fridge
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan
Place the chicken wings on an oven tray. Rub with oil and season with salt
Roast the chicken wings for 40 minutes, then set aside
Toast the peppercorns and then blend them coarsely in a spice grinder
Heat a dash of rapeseed oil in a stock pot until smoking hot then add the clams and wine. Put the lid on immediately and cook until most of the clams have opened
Remove the lid then discard any clams that remain closed. Set aside two thirds of the clams in the fridge until ready to serve
Add all the remaining ingredients, then cover with a cartouche and bring to a simmer
Cook over a low heat for 1 hour
Strain the mixture, discarding the chicken wings and the clams, then add to a pan and cook over a high heat until reduced by half
Blend with the cold butter and chicken demi for 2 minutes on full speed and then pass
Season with marsala, verjus, Riesling, lime juice and zest, and salt to taste
Season the flesh of the fish very liberally with salt. After 10 minutes brush it off, and place the fish in the fridge or a blast chiller for 1 hour
Sear the skin side of the fish over live fire – in the restaurant they use a robata – until caramelised and crisp. Just kiss the flesh side with the heat for a few seconds, and then place on a warm tray over the fire until the flesh reaches 47°C
Carve the fillets into two and brush with olive oil
Warm a dash of oil in a pan, and then fry the greens until wilted
Start with a good helping of the warmed bouillabaisse, and a drizzle of chilli oil. Add the fish, greens and reserved clams. Foam the chicken sauce and spoon a small amount over the top of the dish
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