Bourride – Fish Stew with Aïoli

I was looking for authentic French recipes for my French Food Week in Novemebr 2016 when I came upon this Marseille-Style Fish Stew with Aioli in SAVEUR - a gourmet, food, wine and travel magazine at www.saveur.com. This recipe had appeared in the March 2014 issue with the story, The City by the Sea. https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/classic-french-fish-stew-with-aioli/

The recipe was pretty strightforward and simple and without doubt, yummy. It was quite a filling whole meal that we enjoyed for lunch.

Serves 6 to 8 as appetizer or 2 to 3 people as whole meal for lunch or dinner

Ingredients

For the Aïoli

• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup olive oil

For the Soup

• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• ¼  tsp. cayenne pepper (chilli powder)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 leeks, white parts only, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ½ cups dry white wine
• 4 cups seafood stock
• 900g skinless firm white fish (I used sea bass) pin bones removed
• 275 g medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• ½ tsp. saffron threads
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. minced parsley
• Toasted baguette, for serving (I used toasted bread)

Instructions

To make the aïoli: 

• Whisk lemon juice, garlic, egg yolk, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until thick, 2–3 minutes; transfer to a blender. With the motor running, drizzle in oil until sauce is emulsified. Transfer aïoli to a bowl; set aside

To make the soup:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel, cayenne, garlic, leeks, onions, tomatoes, and bay leaf; cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add wine; simmer until reduced by half, 4–5 minutes. Add stock and 2 cups water; boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until broth is slightly reduced, 12–15 minutes. Strain broth; return to saucepan over medium heat. Add fish, shrimp, saffron, salt, and pepper; cook until fish is firm and shrimp are pink, 2–3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide fish and shrimp between 6 bowls.
• Whisk 1⁄2 cup broth into aïoli; return to pan. Cook until slightly thick, 4–5 minutes; ladle over fish. Garnish with parsley; serve with toasted bread.

Garlic and Cilantro Soup with Poached Egg and Croutons

This Garlic and Cilantro Soup with Poached Eggs and Croutons is a diabetes-friendly version of a classic Portuguese-influenced Brazilian soup created by Brazilian chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz as part of the American Diabetes Challenge. I found this at The Latin Kitchen, which had recreated this diabetes friendly version. Makes an excellent and filling dinner or even lunch! Recipe taken from My Rio de Janeiro: A Cookbook. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 4 eggs
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 to 3 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves (can be substituted with Parsley)

 

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place the bread cubes in a bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Season with pepper and toss. Toast in the oven until it just begins to get crunchy, about 15 minutes, mixing once during baking time. Remove from oven and reserve.
• Prepare a bowl of iced water. Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add the vinegar and mix well. Break each egg into a cup, and gently pour the egg from the bowl into the simmering water, coming as close as you can to the water. Poach the eggs until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove each egg from the simmering water and transfer to the iced water bath for just a few minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Cover loosely with foil.
• In a pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic; cook over low heat until it just starts to get golden and develops a fragrance, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Season with pepper. Add the cilantro leaves just when ready to serve.
• Distribute the cubed bread and egg among each soup bowl, ladle the soup on top and serve.

Canja (Brazilian Chicken and Rice Soup)

Found these authentic Brazilian recipes by Cynthia Presser by luck! This soup was the main course for my lunch during my Brazilian Food Week in November 2016! Pretty filling and very yummy! As suggested this could literally lift you up while you are sick or down with a bad cold, etc.! Recipe here: http://www.cynthiapresser.com/brazilian-recipes-south-american-cuisine/brazilian-main-courses/379-canja-brazilian-chicken-and-rice-soup

Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and finely shredded 
• Salt and pepper
• 6 cups water (I used the stock from cooking chicken)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice 
• 1/2 cup frozen or freshly cooked corn
• 2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped

Preparation

• Set a pan or pressure pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and allow to heat up. Add onions and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.
• Add shredded chicken and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add water or chicken stock and allow it to come to a light boil. Stir in rice. 
• If using pressure pan or cooker, you could pressure cook rice and continue to cook on low heat after releasing the pressure until the soup has thickened. 
• If not using pressure pan or cooker, reduce heat to low and partially cover pot once the water returns to a light boil. Simmer over low heat for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until soup has thicken and the rice has nearly incorporated into broth.
• Remove from heat. Fold in corn and scallions, add more salt if needed. Cover with lid and let it seat 30 minutes off the heat.
• Serve warm, topped with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (optional).

White Asparagus Soup with Shrimp

I had these 2 bottles of asparagus from my friends in Denmark sitting on my kitchen shelf for a long, long time.  I finally decided to make soup of them. I looked up some recipes in the internet and then created my own tweaking from a couple of them.

Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients

• 2 bottles white asparagus
• 200g shrimp, deshelled and deveined
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp butter, divided by half
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided by half
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 3 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Preparation

• Heat half the butter and olive oil in a pan. Add three fourths onion and cook until translucent.
• Remove and puree along with asparagus and the liquid. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining butter and olive oil and add the remaining onion and cook until translucent. 
• Add the garlic and thyme and cook until garlic smells aromatic. 
• Add the shrimp and saute until shrimp is cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
• Now add the asparagus and onion puree, the chicken stock cube and water to the pan. Bring to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Cuban Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo)

Recipe from tasteofcuba.com courtesy Sonia Martinez from Cocina Cubana Club.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 100 grams chicken mince, pressure cooked to one whistle (optional – if using this, you can use the chicken stock from pressure cooking it)
• 10 to 12 large garlic cloves,  peeled and mashed
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup butter
• Salt and freshly ground white peppercorns to taste
• 1 piece of bread, cubed and toasted per person
• 1 raw egg per person (optional – I used it)

Cuban Garlic Soup with Chicken Mince (My addition)

Preparation

• In a large saucepan, saute the mashed garlic and sliced onion slowly in the butter. Don't let the garlic turn brown or it will give a bitter taste. When onions are translucent, switch off and transfer to a blender. Add a small amount of stock and process until onion and garlic mix is all smooth. Return to saucepan and add the rest of the broth and seasonings. 
• Place the toasted bread cubes in each bowl and break an egg over it. Ladle the soup over the egg and toast and serve with or without the chicken mince. 

Notes

The soup tasted better without the chicken mince!

Oriental Clear Soup with Chinese Greens (Bok choy), Mushrooms and Shrimp

Finding bok choy for the fist time in Chennai at the Kovai Pazhamudhir Nilayam, I browsed through the internet for some soup recipes with bok choy and found this simple, straight forward recipe at myrecipes.com and getmecooking.com.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 3 oz (about 80 g) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth, fat-free, low-sodium
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 cups bok choy, coarsely chopped (You can substitute spinach or napa cabbage)
• 2 tbsp green onions, (spring onions) sliced 
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander)
• 1 lb (450 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat; saute mushrooms and ginger about 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken.
• Add broth, water and soy sauce and bring to boil. Stir in bok choy and green onions, cilantro and shrimp. Cover and reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until shrimp is done. 
• Stir in lime juice just before serving.

Fish Balls, Fish Cake and Dried Anchovies Soup with Mushroom and Spring Onion

Malaysian Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 500 grams king fish (Or any fish of choice)
• 50 grams dried anchovies, head removed and cleaned
• 100 grams button mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 3 stalks spring onions, cut in rings
• 3 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Topping

• Garlic oil (See note below)

To make fish balls

• Remove flesh from king fish slices (seer fish)
• Scrape flesh from skin and discard skin.
• Place all the fish meat on a chopping board and chop for 10 minutes.
• The fish will become slightly sticky as you chop. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to chop for another 10 minutes. The fish meat will now become a fish paste.
• Wet your hands slightly with water and roll the fish paste into fish balls of desired size.

To make fish cakes

• Wet your hands again and roll the fish paste into flat elongate size. 
• Steam for 10 minutes in boiling water, drain and pan fry in hot sesame oil. Reserve liquid if desired.
• Allow to cool and cut into thin slices.

Preparation

• Bring a pot of water to boil. (I used the reserved liquid)
• Add the cleaned anchovies and allow to boil again. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the anchovies, add little salt and 1 tsp sesame oil. Mix well and microwave for 2 minutes. Set aside the crispy anchovies.
• Heat a tsp of sesame oil in a pan and add 1 tbsp minced garlic. Saute for 30 seconds till the aroma comes out. 
• Add the onion white and mushroom and saute for a minute. Add the anchovies stock and a chicken stock cube. Add some green onion. Bring to boil.
• Add the fish balls and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add fish sauce, white pepper and salt to taste. Turn off heat.
• Add fish balls, fish cake slices, mushroom and crispy anchovies. Ladle soup into the bowl, add the rest of the green onion and garlic oil. Serve hot. 

Note:

Garlic oil can be made by stir-frying minced garlic in oil.

Broccoli Soup with Chicken and Mushroom

Recipe is my experiment tweaked from Cream of Broccoli Soup recipes!

Ingredients

• 350 grams Chicken  
• 8 cups broccoli florets
• 50 grams mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3 cups water
• 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
• Salt and white pepper powder to taste

Preparation

• Pressure cook chicken with 3 cups water and salt to taste. Shred the chicken, discard the bones and set the stock aside. 
• Heat butter or olive oil in a pan. Add onion and celery and saute until tender.
• Add 6 cups broccoli florets and saute for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of chicken stock to it and bring to boil. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Drain the soup and puree the broccoli, onion and celery mixture in a mixer to a paste. Mix it with the soup and set aside. 
• Heat a tsp of olive oil in the same pan and saute the rest of the broccoli florets and mushroom for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil.
• Add the pureed broccoli paste and salt and white pepper powder to taste. Stir and switch off. Serve hot.

Bee Thai Bak (Rice Noodle Soup)

Recipe from RASAMALAYSIA

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 300 grams Thai rice stick noodles
• 1 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 100 grams beef mince, cooked
• 6 - 8 fish balls 
• 8 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tsp fish sauce or to taste
• 3 dashes white pepper powder

Topping

• Garlic oil (See note below)
• 2 stalks spring onions, cut into rings

To make fish balls

• Remove flesh from king fish slices (seer fish)
• Scrape flesh from skin and discard skin.
• Place all the fish meat on a chopping board and chop for 10 minutes.
• The fish will become slightly sticky as you chop. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to chop for another 10 minutes. The fish meat will now become a fish paste.
• Wet your hands slightly with water and roll the fish paste into fish balls of desired size.
  
  

Preparation

• Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the rice noodles until they are cooked. Drain and set aside.
• To make the soup, bring chicken stock and water to boil in a pan. Add minced beef, fish balls and shrimp. Boil for about 2 minutes or until all the ingredients are cooked.
• Add fish sauce and white pepper powder. Turn off heat.
• Divide the rice noodles into two bowls and add broth, garlic oil and chopped spring onion.
• Serve immediately.

Note:

Garlic oil can be made by stir-frying minced garlic in oil.

Mulligatawny Soup with Chicken and Apples

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder (Sambar powder - use less if you prefer less spicy)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 apple, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup white rice ( I used cooked rice)
• 1 skinless, boneless, chicken breast half cut into cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• a pinch dried thyme
• 1/2 heavy cream, heated

Preparation:

• Boil chicken with 4 to 5 cups water for chicken stock.
• Saute onions, celery, carrot and butter in a saucepan. Add flour and curry and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
• Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper and thyme. Simmer till soup consistency is reached. 
• Serve with hot cream. 

Red Rice Payasam

This recipe is from Ahaa! Enna Rusi on Sun TV
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red sticky rice, powdered coarsely
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp sugar 
• Cardamom powder, a pinch
• Cashews and raisins

Preparation:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins. Remove the fried cashews and raisins and keep aside.
2. Fry the powdered rice till the flavour comes out.
3. Pressure cook with milk and switch off. (Alternatively, you can microwave it)
4. Then add milk as required, sugar, fried cashews and cardamom powder.

Note:

1. I try to use sugar free drops instead of sugar wherever possible. It had the same taste in this preparation.

Kongunadu Kozhi Rasam

Recipe from Chef Jacob on Ahaa! Enna Rusi
Ingredients:

• 250g Chicken with bones
•  15 pearl onions, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• curry leaves
• 2 sprigs coriander, chopped

To grind:

• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp fennel
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 red chillis
• 4 pearl onions
• 5 garlic cloves

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook chicken with minced onion, tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and little salt with 5 cups water. Discard bones.
2. Prepare rasam paste by dry grinding pepper, cumin, fennel and red chillis. Once powdered add coriander powder. Then add garlic and onions and grind to a smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in a pan, season with cumin and curry leaves. Once cumin splutters, pour in the pressure cooked chicken stock and add the ground paste. Allow to boil and switch off. Garnish with chopped coriander.

Hot and Sour Chicken Soup

From LG Microwave Cook Book
Ingredients:

• 250g chicken 
• Vegetables of choice, sliced, cubed or quartered (I used baby corn, mushroom and cabbage)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp garlic paste (For 1tsp garlic paste, mix 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp vinegar, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt)
• 1/4 tsp pepper 
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 4 tbsp corn starch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Prepration:

1. Pressure cook chicken, shred the pieces and take stock.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add crushed garlic and chilli paste.
3. Add vegetables and stir fry about 3 minutes.
4. Add chicken stock and all other ingredients except corn starch. Check for taste and add more to requirement. 
5. Add dissolved corn starch and stir till soup thickens. 
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Clear Soup with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 250g chicken with bones
• 50g mushroom sliced or quartered
• Pinch of ajinomoto
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups water
• Chopped cilantro (coriander) for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook chicken with salt and keep the chicken pieces aside.
2. Boil the stock with mushrooms.
3. Add salt and pepper and ajinomoto.
4. Discard the bones from the chicken and shred the pieces.
5. Add it to the stock and simmer 5 minutes.
6. Add cilantro leaves for garnishing and serve.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 100g thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 cups chicken broth
• 1tbsp, finely chopped onion
• 1/8 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, combine mushrooms, broth, onion and bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. 
2. In another pan, make white sauce. Melt butter, add flour to it and then add milk to it gradually and stirring constantly so no lumps are formed. 
3. Add the mushroom to the white sauce and season with salt and pepper.