Northwest Mussel Bourride with Aioli

This rich, creamy fisherman’s stew is thickened with garlicky mayonnaise. Although usually made with a mixture of fish and shellfish, it’s also sensational with mussels only.

Bourride is a Mediterranean fish soup-stew similar to Bouillabaise.

The difference is Bourride is thickened with Aioli (a garlicky mayonnaise) before serving, while Bouillabaise is left as is, with Rouille (a garlicky red bell pepper and chili pepper mayonnaise) served alongside.

Both typically utilize a large, contrasting variety of fish and a hearty broth, generally flavored with fennel, saffron, and orange peel.

Because of the expense and time involved, I seldom prepare a true, albeit Northwest, Bourride or Bouillabaisse.

It is a simple matter, though, to use mussels or clams alone with the classic broth and seasonings. And the effect, to my palate, is sensational.

Here then, is a Bourride utilizing mussels, their liqueur, and Aioli, plus a Bouillabaisse served with Rouille.

While the Bouillabaise is light enough to serve as a first course, the Bourride is really quite rich and works best as a main dish.  Either way, serve plenty of toasted French bread, brushed with olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic, alongside.

Northwest Mussel Bourride with Aioli

This rich, creamy fisherman’s stew is thickened with garlicky mayonnaise. Although usually made with a mixture of fish and shellfish, it’s also sensational with mussels only.

4 tablespoons cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1½ cups chopped)
4 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and minced
1 large pinch saffron, crushed

6 cups fish stock (or 4 cups fish stock and 2 cups dry white wine)
4 large, vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and seeded, with juice; or 14½-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice 
2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
1 tablespoon finely minced orange zest
1 tablespoon anise-flavored liqueur (or ½ teaspoon anise seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle)

2 pounds small Northwest mussels, cleaned and debearded

½ cup Aioli (or Mayonnaise with 1 clove minced garlic)

fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish
2 tablespoons finely minced parsley

Accompaniment

½ cup Aioli (or Mayonnaise with 1 clove minced garlic)

1. To prepare soup base, in a large casserole (preferably enameled cast-iron), heat olive oil, and add onions, garlic, and saffron. Cover and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened.
2. Add fish stock, tomatoes, parsley, orange zest, and anise-flavored liqueur.
3. To steam mussels, arrange mussels on top of soup base, cover, and bring to a simmer.
4. Cook for 4 minutes, and check to see if mussels have opened.
5. With a slotted spoon, remove those that are open to a bowl, and keep warm. If there are unopened mussels remaining, replace the lid, and simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes. (Mussels that don’t open were probably dead to begin with and should be discarded.) Remove the last of the mussels and keep warm with the rest.
6. Simmer the soup base, uncovered, for 15 minutes or so to intensify the flavors and evaporate the alcohol in the wine.
7. To finish, just before serving, add egg yolks to ½ cup Aioli, and then gradually add some of the hot soup base, whisking constantly.
8. Pour egg-enriched Aioli back into the soup pot, and heat slowly, until soup thickens slightly. (Don’t bring near a simmer or egg yolks will curdle, leaving an unpleasant gritty texture.)
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. To serve, fill individual bowls with mussels (in their shells), and ladle hot soup base over each. Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley, and serve hot with the remaining Aioli on the side.

Serves 4.

Northwest Mussel Bouillabaise with Rouille

1. Proceed as prescribed above through Step 6.
2. Skip Step 7 and Step 8.
3. At Step 10, ladle hot broth over the mussels, and serve with Rouille on the side.

Serves 4.

Copyright 1984-2015 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.