Bourride a la Toulonaise
This hearty Provencal tomato and fennel stew is filled with fish and shellfish. Use a combination of fish, selecting the best available in season. Once the stew is thickened with arrowroot and egg yolks, do not let it boil.
Ingredients
- Assorted Fish - 2-1/2 pounds, in bite-sized pieces
- Tomatoes - 2, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- Leek - 1, chopped
- Fennel - 1/2 cup, chopped
- Potatoes - 2, peeled and quartered
- Red Onion - 1, chopped
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Thyme - 1/2 teaspoon
- Garlic Cloves - 4
- Parsley - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Mussels - 8
- Crawfish - 8
- Lemon
- Boiling water or Fish stock - 1 quart, or a combination
- Mushrooms - 1/4 pound, stemmed
- Egg Yolks - 6, beaten
- Arrowroot - 2 tablespoons, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
- Garlic Croutons or Toasts - 8
Instructions
Put all ingredients down through the lemon in a stock pot or kettle. Place over medium heat. Pour boiling water, stock, or a combination of water and stock over the ingredients. Add the mushrooms, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Strain the liquid into another pan and cook to reduce by one third. Add a spoonful of the hot liquid to the beaten egg yolks; stir in rapidly. Add the dissolved arrowroot and the egg yolks to the broth and warm over medium-low heat (do not boil). Place the fish and shellfish into soup plates and pour the sauce over them. Garnish with croutons or toasts.
