Boybes, sometimes called Marseille soup, is one of the most famous Mediterranean soups. This soup does not have one classic recipe, they vary from restaurant to restaurant and from hostess to hostess, but all these versions are united by the same technology.
Bouillabaisse fish soup: recipe video
Bouybes is one of the dishes that have made a dizzying career. Initially, such a soup was prepared by fishermen from Marseilles, throwing into the cauldron all the fish and seafood that could not be sold by the evening. However, over time, the simple fish soup moved from the port territory to the richer kitchens, and then it fell to the taste of the nobility and became one of the famous French dishes. Gourmets call buybes “soup of gold” and “magic essence”. Its amazing taste is due not so much to a potpourri of different types of fish, but to technology and a unique bouquet of spices – saffron, fennel seeds and orange peel. The name of the soup, according to legend, was invented by the abbess of one of the Marseilles monasteries. The technology requires that different types of fish and seafood are added to the soup one by one and the soup is brought to a boil over and over again (Boulh), and then the heat is reduced to prevent the aromas from evaporating (Abaisse). If you repeat these words one by one, then the sound will be similar to the French word Bouillabaisse – potpourri.
The famous English writer Thackeray wrote a whole ballad of the same name about buybes. It contains the following lines: “This is the most beautiful dish, I am ready to swear in that: in one saucepan – well, a miracle! – you will find fish of all sorts “
The types and quantities of fish, seafood, and other ingredients that make up buybes depend on the region. However, most of the classic recipes feature sea bass, mullet, and monkfish for a thick broth. Bouillabaisse gets its rich aroma from vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, leeks and celery. Finally, buibes “creates” a mixture of spices, here among the obligatory ingredients are garlic, bay leaf, dill, orange peel, saffron and bay leaf.
In Provence, bouybes is served exclusively with the garlic rouy sauce
Try the following recipe for buibes. Take: – 3 red mullets; – 450 g fillet of monkfish; – 500 ml of fish broth; – 900 g of sea bass; – 12 raw large tiger prawns; – 5 tablespoons of olive oil; – 2 small onions, cut into small cubes; – 6 minced garlic cloves; – 2 stalks of leeks, cut into rings; – 500 g of chopped tomatoes; – 100 g of chopped parsley; – 1 tsp tomato puree; – 1 tsp fennel seeds; – 3 sprigs of thyme; – 2 bay leaves; – zest from one orange; – 2 liters of mineral water; – 1 tsp. saffron; – 5 g of salt; – 2 tbsp. l. aniseed vodka; – 36 mussels.
Cut the red mullet and sea bass into fillets. Set the ridges and heads aside. Peel the shrimp and also set the shells and heads aside. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the leeks, onions, and garlic until soft. Add tomatoes, fennel seeds, tomato puree, fish and shrimp backs and heads. Pour in fish broth and mineral water, add saffron, parsley, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes, removing foam from time to time.
When the broth has boiled down to 2 liters, remove it from the heat and strain the broth into a clean saucepan. Pour in anise vodka, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil. Cut the fillet of red mullet, sea bass and monkfish into pieces with a side of 3-4 centimeters. Add different types of fish to the soup one by one, bring the buibes to a boil and reduce the heat, then add another sliced fillet. Add the shrimp and mussels last, bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes, until the mussels open their shells and the shrimps turn pink. Serve the finished buybes sprinkled with parsley.