Holiday Bouillabaisse

Holiday Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

1 pound redfish fillets, skin removed*

1 pound drum fillets, skin removed*

3 teaspoons salt, divided

1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes

3 cups coarsely chopped yellow onion

2 cups coarsely chopped green bell pepper

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

½ cup unsalted butter

4 bay leaves

1 lemon, sliced

2 cups fish stock

½ cup white wine

1 pound medium fresh shrimp,peeled and deveined

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked free of shells

24 oysters, shucked

Toasted French bread, sliced

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Sprinkle fish with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon cayenne. In a medium bowl, add tomatoes and juice, and mash until small chunks remain. In another medium bowl, combine onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon cayenne.

In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion mixture, and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomato, bay leaves, lemon, stock, and wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer; add fish, cover, and cook 45 minutes. Do not stir.

Gently stir in shrimp, crabmeat, and oysters, making sure to fully submerge, and simmer 12 minutes. Place a toasted bread slice in each bowl, and ladle soup over. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

By Hazel Gill, Baton Rouge

Source: http://www.louisianacookin.com/holiday-bouillabaisse/…