Tastefully Overcaramelized

Abe says

We all, as best I can tell, have our own personal style and flavor profiles that permeate the food we make, from recipe and ingredient selection down to execution and presentation. For example, I’m a fan of campanelle with olive oil, parmesan cheese, frozen peas, fleur de sel and cracked pepper - some of my favorite ingredients together in a quick meal. In college I favored slabs of red meat with red wine pan sauces, mushrooms sautéed with thyme, and mashed potatoes, all backed up with butter, heavy cream, or both. Nowadays I’m working on coming up to speed with hearty winter greens and lentils. It’s delicious, all of it, though most days it’s hard to step out and make new things.

I found exactly what I was looking for in this Fast Food My Way recipe, being hungry for sausage, meat, a little broth, and something unabashedly French. Like his other recipes, this one is delicious and accessible; Jacques Pépin is truly one of my favorite food personalities. He still comes across genuine despite abounding peer celebrity, and through an occasionally indecipherable accent demonstrates the kind of food I want to make. The sequel series, More Fast Food My Way, is now available by the grace of the Internet on YouTube, published by KQED. Highly recommended.

I also recommend making the rouille. Though it is, technically, a mayonnaise and you could omit it, it is not in the least scary and is actually every bit a saffron aioli that is extremely simple if you have a food processor. Though possibly inauthentic I like drizzling some on top of the meat and vegetables, along with extra on the side for some crusty bread.

Chicken Bouillabaisse

With only slight modification from Jacques Pépin’s Fast Food My Way

serves 4

For the bouillabaisse
1 Tbsp good olive oil
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
generous 1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp dried herbes de Provence
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
4 chicken thighs (1 3/4 to 2 lbs, fat removed)
1/2 a 14 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, about 1 cup
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
5 red or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3/4 lb, peeled and halved)
1 piece (about 10 oz) kielbasa sausage, cut into 4 pieces
2 tsp Pernod or Ricard (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, chives, or parsley

For the rouille
2 large garlic cloves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the olive oil, garlic, saffron, lemon zest, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, herbes de Provence, onion, celery, and carrot in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to cook, up to 8 hours.

Transfer the contents of the bowl into a stainless steel pot and add the tomatoes, wine, water, and potatoes. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the sausage, check for seasonings, and cook until the potatoes are done, about 5 minutes. If using, add Pernod and stir in fresh herbs.

Remove half a cooked potato and 1/4 cup liquid from the pot into a food processor with the garlic, cayenne, and paprika. Process for 10 seconds. Add the egg yolk, then with the processor running, slowly pour in the oil and process for a few seconds, or until incorporated. Taste for salt and add, if needed.

Serve in soup plates with a spoonful of rouille drizzled on top, alongside crusty bread.

Filed under: Main Courses, Recipes, Soups and Stews by Abe on December 19, 2008. Tagged with: aioli, chicken, potatoes, saffron.