Bourride is a Provencal dish, let’s say the cousin of bouillabaisse. It’s originally made out of monkfish. In this version, I added shrimps and clams and fennel in the broth. I love the combination of fennel and fish/seafood. It’s a light and flavorful dish that can be enjoyed all year round. Not being difficult to make, it can also be prepared in advance, just get the broth with the vegetables ready the night before and you can only cook the fish the day you are consuming it. That is a big convenience.

These days I have not been a big fish and seafood eater, but once in a while if I make an ocean dish, it needs to be special. Bourride is delicious and light, especially if you don’t add too much aioli.

Bourride is served with aioli. Aioli is used in all Mediterranean basin such as Provence, Spain and Northern Italy. It’s usually a condiment made out of garlic and oil, sometimes an egg is added but for purists, egg is to be avoided.

Ingredients

For the soup

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 fennel, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced (1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 leek (the white part), sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1.5 lb monkfish, cut in 5 cm pieces
• about 15 shrimps, peeled and deveined
• about 15 clams

For the aioli

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 yolk
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3.4 oz (or 100 ml) vegetable oil
• 3.4 oz (or 100 ml) olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the aioli

In a bowl, or mortar crush garlic, add yolk and mustard then add slowly vegetable oil. Add olive oil and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth. Adjust with salt and pepper.

For the bourride

Heat olive oil in a deep pot. Add cut vegetables and let them sweat for about t0 min until they get soft. Add garlic, parsley and wine. Stir well, then add broth. Let it cook for about 20 min until the vegetables are well cooked. Mash roughly with a potato masher. Remove about 1 laddle of broth and set aside.

Cook monkfish in a little oil on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Add monkfish to broth, add shrimps and clams. Cover and cook at medium temperature until the clams open.

When fish is cooked, mix 3-4 tbs aioli with the left aside broth and mix well. Add to the fish/broth mixture. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot with toasted bread or as is.

]]> http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2016/07/a-different-kind-of-bourride-bourride-of-monkfish-clams-and-shrimps/feed/ 0 http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2013/07/table-for-two-marinated-monk-fish-medallions-with-eggplant-puree-and-lemon-confit/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=table-for-two-marinated-monk-fish-medallions-with-eggplant-puree-and-lemon-confit http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2013/07/table-for-two-marinated-monk-fish-medallions-with-eggplant-puree-and-lemon-confit/#comments Wed, 17 Jul 2013 05:54:35 +0000 silvia http://www.citronetvanille.com/blog/?p=16114 Table pour deux – Médaillons de lotte marinés aux épices, purée d’aubergine aux citrons confits

I realized this blog really lacks meat recipes, even though I cook it for clients every weeks, I don’t really eat it, (unless I am forced with a stick!!), I just taste it for seasoning, so I would say this blog is a sample of the dishes I really enjoy eating.

I got so excited to find monkfish in the store, that I had to buy it (you need thick fillets to make medallions). Monkfish in France is a quite famous and reputable fish, but it can be confusing to figure out what species of monkfish it is. There are two kinds, one living in lakes and rivers, and one commercially sold as “queue de lotte” which means monkfish tail, with its bone which can be the kind living in the oceans. The main bone is very easy to remove since it’s has no small ones. In the US they sell fillets so its easier to make medallions. I love monkfish, it’s delicate, subtle and with a firm texture. In this recipe monkfish has been marinated in spices, then pan fried. It cooks quite fast and it’s a very simple meal to prepare, for your guests, your family or for yourself. In my case myself.

You can serve it with saute greens, or any other vegetable. I wanted to add a bit of exotism so I used eggplants; not that eggplants are exotic but combined with lemon confits, it adds a touch of Northern Africa. I never know what to do with those strange lemons. I have a huge jar of those that I stare at anytime I open the refrigerator as if they’re aliens. Today I took the aliens out of the jar, rinsed, them, chopped them and ate them….and they tasted  wonderful. Lemon confits are often used in Moroccan cuisine, to add the final sour flavor to a dish and complement spices very well.

Ingredients for 2

For the Monkfish

• 1 lb monkfish fillets
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tbs dill, chopped
• 1/4 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/2 small red onion chopped
• 1 tbs capers, chopped

For the eggplant purée

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbs mint, chopped
• 1 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp cumin, ground
• 2 tbs Greek yogurt
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 lemon confit, rinsed, pulp removed and chopped

Preparation

Cut monkfish into 2.5 inches pieces. In a small bowl mix all marinade ingredients together and pour on monkfish, mix well to coat all the pieces cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, pre-heat oven at 400F, then prepare the eggplant. Cut them lenghtwise, Using a knive, make small incisions in the eggplant (not the skin side) sprinkle with salt and a little oil. Place the eggplant under broiler skin up, and cook for about 15 minutes until it gets soft. Remove from the oven and let it cool a bit. Using a spoon scoop the eggplant and let it drain for about 30 min so it gets rid of the water. When it has completely cooled, add all the rest of the ingredients except for the confit lemons. They need to be added at the end.

Heat oil in a pan, pan fry the monkfish pieces until golden brown, then add the rest of the marinade. Stir well, adjust with salt and pepper. Turn down heat and cook until fish is cooked all the way through. Serve with eggplant purée topped with lemon confit.

Traditional Pot-au-feu in France is mainly a dish of boiled beef slowly cook in a broth with various vegetables such as carrots, celeri, leeks, onions, etc…and a bouquet garni which is a bunch of different herbs tied together to enhance the broth (such as thyme, laurel parsley, marjoram, etc…). Usually, the meat is served along with vegetables and broth on the side. It’s considered a rustic dish but quite popular among the French. Every country has its own version of Pot-au-feu. I am not a fan of boiled meat and rarely ate it. My mom used to make the Italian version called lesso with chicken and beef together and that was certainly not my favorite dish growing up.

It’s not really a kids “friendly’ dish. Big chunks of meat with big chunks of vegetables were something I would dread. Good thing tastes do change when you become an adult, can you imagine eating all your life “kids” food? Actually, I do know some people who never developed a palate and still eat “kids food”. I think they’re missing so many wonderful sensations and pleasures.

The good thing is now I do eat Pot-au-feu, but the fish version and I cannot get enough of it. I absolutely love this dish, the flavors are incredible. The citrusy flavor of the broth combined with saffron delicate fragrance are such a perfect combination. I do believe that whatever you make with meat, you can make the same thing using fish, maybe not all of it, but most of it.

That is my first real meal I am having after this hectic week and it’s even more enjoyable…

You can serve this fish with vegetables around, along with some broth on the side and tiny steamed potatoes. I found some teeny tiny potatoes at the store, that I had to buy them. There were not bigger than a quarter, some of them even smaller, the cutest potatoes I have ever seen…and they’re called “teeny tiny potatoes”, that’s what it’s written on their bag.

Monkfish is also very popular in France, its texture remains very firm and lotte au poivre vert, monkfish in a green peppercorn sauce is one of our traditional and popular monkfish dish.

Ingredients for 2

• 1/2 lb monkfish
• 1/2 lb cod fillet
• 2 leeks, cut in big chunks
• 2 carrots, cut in big chunks
• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut in big chunks
• 1/2 lb teeny tiny potatoes or fingerling potatoes
• 1 blood orange, sliced
• juice of 2 blood oranges
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, laurel, parsley, marjorma, etc…)
• 1 tsp dried fish fumet (fish broth)
• saffron threads
• vegetable broth
• olive oil for drizzling
• salt and pepper

Preparation
To prepare the broth, mix fish fumet, vegetable broth, juice of oranges, the onion with cloves stucked in it, garlic and bouquet garni of herbs. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes at low heat.

Steam potatoes and keep warm.

Add cut vegetables to the broth and cook until the vegetables are cooked. Add fish, saffron and blood orange slices. Cook for about 10 minutes until the monkfish is cooked. Cod tends to cook faster, so to prevent it from breaking apart, remove cod pieces from the broth and let monkish cook a little longer.

Remove vegetables and fish from the broth, filter the broth. Place fish in a large dish, then place vegetables around it. Sprinkle with olive oil and serve with potatoes on the side warm broth and toasted country bread.