TammyM > wrote:
> On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:49:53 +0200, (Victor Sack)
> wrote:
>
> <snip>
> >You have my sympathy, especially considering that Marseille is not
> >really worth a visit any more, Vieux Port perhaps excepting.
>
> Out of curiosity, why is this so, in your opinion? I've not been
> there, but we are planning a trip to France in '08 and plan to spend
> some time in the south.
Depends on where you actually want to go... to France or to a noxious
version of Maghreb... Unfortunately, Marseille can no longer be
considered a true French or Provençal city. It is full of North-African
Arab underclass of a particularly unsavoury kind. It is disgustingly
filthy and teeming with beggars, prostitutes, drug dealers and such. It
is a high-crime area and unaccompanied women are liable to get molested
or at the very least hear some lewd comments on a regular basis.
ObFood: Bourride. The recipe is from _Bistro Cooking_ by Patricia
Wells.
Victor
La Bourride de Baudroie Restaurant Lou Marquès
Restaurant Lou Marquès' Monkfish Soup with Garlic Cream
1 pound (500 g) baking potatoes, such as russets, peeled and very thinly
sliced
1 leek (white part only), trimmed, well rinsed, and cut into rounds
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into rounds
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Grated zest (peel) of 2 oranges
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise
3 imported bay leaves
2 quarts (2 l) fish stock (see below) or water
1 cup (25 cl) dry white wine, such as Cassis
2 pounds (1 kg) very fresh monkfish, membrane removed and cut crosswise
into 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) slices
1 recipe aïoli (recipe follows)
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup crème fraîche (6 cl) or heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 to 12 slices country bread, for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to warm (about 210°F; 100°C). Place a large soup
tureen and 4 to 6 shallow soup bowls in the oven to warm.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed nonreactive saucepan, combine the
potatoes, leek, carrot, garlic, orange zest, fennel, bay leaves, stock,
and wine. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to
medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 12 to 15
minutes. Add the monkfish and cook, skimming frequently, until the fish
is opaque throughout, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, combine 3/4 cup (18 cl) of the
aïoli with the egg yolk and crème fraîche; whisk to blend. Gradually
stir 1/2 cup (12.5 cl) of the hot soup broth into the aïoli mixture.
Over low heat, add the aïoli mixture to the soup. Cook, whisking to
thicken slightly, for 1 or 2 minutes; do not let the soup boil. Season
to taste with the salt and pepper.
4. Toast the bread.
5. To serve, ladle the soup into warmed bowls, making sure everyone
gets some of the fish and an assortment of vegetables. Pass the
remaining aïoli and toasted bread separately.
Yield: 6 servings
Aïoli
Garlic Mayonnaise
6 large fresh garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 cup (25 cl) extra-virgin olive oil
1. Peel and cut the garlic in half, then remove the green, sprout-like
"germ" that runs lengthwise through the center of the garlic.
2. Pour boiling water into a large mortar to warm it; discard the water
and dry the mortar. Place the garlic and salt into the mortar and mash
together evenly with a pestle to form a paste.
3. Add 1 egg yolk. Stir, pressing slowly and evenly with the pestle,
always in the same direction, to thoroughly blend the garlic and yolk.
Add the second yolk and repeat until well blended.
4. Very slowly work in the oil, drop by drop, until the mixture
thickens. Gradually, whisk in the remaining oil in a slow, thin stream
until the sauce is thickened to a mayonnaise consistency.
Yield: About 1 cup (25 cl)
Fumet de Poisson
Fish Stock
5 pounds (2.5 kg) non-oily fish bones, heads, and trimmings (gills
removed), well rinsed and cut up
2 onions, chopped
3 ounces (90 g) fresh mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
Bouquet garni: 12 parsley stems, 8 peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4
teaspoon fennel seeds, and 1 imported bay leaf tied in a double
thickness of cheesecloth
2 cups (50 cl) dry white wine
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. In a large nonreactive stockpot, combine all the ingredients and add
2 quarts (2 l) of cold water. Bring to a simmer, skimming frequently.
Simmer, uncovered, skimming frequently, for 30 minutes.
2. Line a colander with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth and
place the colander over a large bowl. Ladle the stock into the
colander; discard the solids. Measure the fish stock and, if necessary,
boil until it is reduced to 4 cups (1 l).
Yield: 1 quart (1 l)