Bouillabaisse

SERVES 6

olive oil

1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced

1 baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 carrot, cut into small dice

1 potato, cut into small dice

400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes

15 saffron threads, softened in a little fish stock

1 piece orange zest

3 bay leaves

1 bunch parsley stalks

3 tablespoons Pernod

3 litres (105 fl oz/12 cups) fish stock preferably home-made but a good-quality store-bought one is fine

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh fish fillets, cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes — approximately 1 each of boarfish, trumpeter and snapper (or use any firm white- fleshed fish)

1 whole flounder, gutted and chopped into three pieces

10 black mussels, cleaned and hairy beards removed

2 tablespoons finely chopped dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 loaf sourdough

olive oil, for drizzling

1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half

chopped, parsley, extra, to serve

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek, fennel and garlic and cook until translucent (8–10 minutes), then add the carrot and potato and fry for about 5 minutes or so, giving it a mix every now and then. Add the tomato, saffron, orange zest, bay leaves, parsley stalks and the Pernod and cook for another 5 or so minutes to allow the flavours to combine. Pour in the stock and gently simmer for 20–30 minutes or until the potato and carrot are cooked.

Add the firmest fish first, which will take the longest to cook. So add the boarfish first and then let the soup come back up to the boil and the fish to change colour before adding the trumpeter and following the same procedure before adding the snapper. Add the snapper, flounder and mussels and simmer until all the fish is cooked and the mussels open. To finish, throw in a generous pinch of chopped dill and parsley. Discard any mussels that remain tightly closed. Remove the parsley stalks.

Cut slices of the sourdough and drizzle both sides of the bread with olive oil and then grill them over the barbecue or grill plate on the stove. Turn when coloured and rub the cooked surface with the cut side of the raw clove of garlic. When the other side is cooked rub it with the garlic.

Serve the soup in large bowls, making sure each bowl gets some of each fillet of fish and mussels. Garnish with the extra parsley and place a piece of the garlicky toast on the side.