Today's recipe is Louisiana Bouillabaisse - a star of classic New Orleans French-Creole cuisine from Broussard's Restaurant.  This bouillabaisse is a wonderful medley of oysters, Gulf shrimp, fresh fish, crabs, and mussels in a luscious tomato broth flavored with saffron.  For a perfect presentation, top the bouillabaisse with crabmeat and croutons.  It's luscious!

Louisiana Bouillabaisse

From Broussard's

Broth

• ½ Lb Carrots, Chopped            
• ½ Lb Celery Ribs, Chopped        
• ½ Lb Onions, Chopped            
• ½ Fennel                    
• ½ Green Peppers, Chopped        
• ½ Cup Olive Oil                
• 1 Tbsp Cup Chopped Garlic        
• ¼ Cup Chopped Shallots
• ½ Cup Tomato Paste
• 1 Gallon Shrimp or Fish Stock
• 2 Cups Chopped Tomatoes
• 1/8 Oz Saffron
• Salt to Taste
• White Pepper to Taste
• 3 Bay Leaves

Peel and split the carrots and slice them diagonally, slice the celery the same way.  Also cut the onions, fennel and green peppers in a similar fashion.

In a suitable stock pot, heat the olive oil, saute the carrots, celery and fennel until half-cooked.  Add the onions, peppers, garlic and shallots.

When the mixture is thoroughly heated, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.  Then add the stock, preferably lukewarm.  Add the tomatoes, crushing and draining by hand as you go.  Then add the saffron, already "steeped" in hot water, salt and pepper, and bay leaves.  Bring to a full boil, remove from heat, cool and chill.

Bouillabaisse Seafood

Serves 6

• 1 Lb Peeled, Deveined, Raw Shrimp          
• 1 Cup Raw Oysters                          
• ½ Lb Lump Crabmeat                  
• ½ Lb Peeled Crawfish Tail Meat          
• ½ Lb Fresh Fish, Trout, Pompano Etc., Cut into 1 Inch Cubes
• ½ Lb Raw Scallops
• 18 Fresh Mussels

When ready to complete and serve the bouillabaisse, heat the broth in a soup pot to a boil.  Add the shrimp, oysters, crabmeat, crawfish, fish, scallops and mussels.  Bring back to a simmer and cook for only about 5 minutes, or just enough time for the seafood to be cooked but not overdone.  Serve.

About Broussard's

In the French Quarter, yet worlds away from the din of Bourbon Street, Broussard's has long enjoyed a reputation for exceptional French Creole cuisine expertly served in an exquisite atmosphere. Broussard's Owner/Chef Gunter Preuss has, for the past 40 years, built a reputation among American and International food critics as New Orleans' premier interpreter of classic Creole cuisine.  Profiled in the PBS Series "Great Chefs of New Orleans" and a recent recipient of the Millennium chef International Award of Excellence as one of America's "Top 100 Chefs," Gunter - along with wife Evelyn and son Marc - have brought excitement and style back to 819 Conti Street.  

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