The allure of the Mediterranean Sea brings forth many gifts from the sea; hence, the inspiration for one of our recent dinner parties: A Summer Dinner in Provence. Provence is a region comprised of charming French cities on the sea’s edge such as Cannes, Antibes and St. Tropez. Yes, these are delightful places to visit; but, sometimes we are too busy to transport ourselves to Europe. So, we bring the best of Europe to our tables, as we gather our dear friends. Each of the courses were named for cities in Provence. Michael and I served chilled melon soup, red cabbage slaw and my famous Bouillabaisse followed by fromage and a lemon tart with blueberry sauce. Bouillabaisse is a delicious seafood soup. The broth can be a clear stock or infused with tomato. All Bouillabaisse is comprised of a mixture of seafood treasures. This should include langoustine or lobster tails, fresh fish fillets, crab claws, shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams. The mistake that many make is to put all of the seafood choices directly into the broth, too early. The seafood becomes soggy and over-cooked. Then, the broth becomes cloudy. A memorable and correct broth takes days to cook. Many insist that the broth can only be comprised of fish stock. I disagree. I prefer chicken stock – fresh, homemade chicken stock. Here is my own Bouillabaisse recipe that brings Europe home. © Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Bouillabaisse
For every 2 people, boil 1 whole chicken and reserve the reduced and strained broth directly to the freezer. (The chickens are cooked with fresh herbs, onion and celery.) By noon of the day of the dinner party, slowly thaw the homemade chicken broth on a low heat. When thawed, remove 1 cup of the chicken stock into a 2 cup measuring cup. Add 1 – 6 oz. can of tomato paste and stir vigorously with a whisk. When thoroughly incorporated, add the infusion back into the stock pot. Repeat the process until 1 – 6 oz. can of tomato paste has been added, per every 2 people attending the party. Add a pinch of sugar, to cut the tomato acidity. Then, slowly, very slowly, simmer the stock until it reduces to half its volume, with No Lid. Keep stirring to keep the liquid smooth.
The night before, marinate sea bass in equal parts of orange juice and sherry. One hour before serving, in a skillet, sear the sea bass (or another sturdy textured fish) in olive oil. Then, use a baking dish to finish the fish. Place each fillet onto a slice of orange in the baking dish. Pour on cranberry juice to the top edge of each orange slice. Then, douse each fillet with brandy. Top each fillet with balsamic vinegar. Cover and bake at 325˚ for 30 about minutes.
In the same skillet, sear the scallops in olive oil. Reserve the scallops back into the refrigerator, if not using immediately.
In a separate pot, prepare the broth for the washed mussels and clams. This can be a plain chicken broth and a generous portion of sherry. This broth is Not served as part of this dish. This broth only serves to steam and cook the mussels and the clams.
In a separate pot, prepare seasoned water for the lobster tails (cut in half but attached at the tip of the tail), crab claws and shrimp. Cook these crustaceans in this order so that each are not over-cooked.
Just before serving this main course, add the scallops directly into the Bouillabaisse broth to heat up and finish. Ladle the Bouillabaisse into large bowls for the guests. Then, into the individual bowls place the sea bass with the orange slice, the lobster tail halves (I lightly pull the meat loose from the shell), the crab claws, the shrimp, the mussels and the clams. Top with a sprig of fresh herb and a sprinkle of chopped herbs. Serve the Bouillabaisse with a wholesome bread. It’s an unforgettable Summer Dinner in Provence feast! After the feast, I pass hot steamed towels for everyone to close the course. © Kelly McBride Loft