A Provençal Meal from my Childhood
Grilled striped bass with tomato and vegetable soup, grilled bread and rouille, a classic French mayo-based sauce often served with bouillabaisse. This is a meal inspired by summers I spent on the coast with my dad. In this episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I’ll demonstrate how to cook the fish two ways, a whole striped bass and individual filet portions, both over hot hardwood coals.
Learn how to grill a whole striped bass on this episode of Wild Game Kitchen.
Striped Bass with Tomato Soup and Rouille
Ingredients
Bass with Tomato Broth
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Bouquet garni of 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 sprigs fresh oregano, 2 sprigs basil
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 fennel bulb, cut in 6ths
- 22 ounces San Marzano whole tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 8 cups fish stock
- 1 whole striped bass, cleaned
- 1 baguette, sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley, for garnish
Rouille
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic
- A large pinch of saffron, steeped in 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 fire-roasted red pepper, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves, minced
Instructions
Place the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, garlic, tomato paste, bouquet garni, saffron and fennel. Cook for 5 minutes, until onions are glassy and beginning to caramelize.
Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid by about half. Add the wine, bring back to a simmer and reduce by half. Add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for another 25-30 minutes. Set aside to keep warm, seasoning with sea salt.
Season the whole fish with olive oil and salt. Grill over direct high heat, about 12-14 minutes per side. Let rest on a cutting board, then carefully remove the skin and flake the meat off the bones.
Brush slices of baguette with olive oil and season with salt. Grill to toast the bread over medium direct heat for about 30 seconds per side.
Ladle the soup into wide bowls, place pieces of the bass on top. Serve with the rouille and grilled bread. Garnish with fresh parsley.
For the rouille:
Place egg yolks, mustard, garlic, saffron, lemon juice and roasted pepper in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly add the vegetable oil in a thin stream, to emulsify. Follow with the olive oil until the rouille is emulsified and thick. Season and fold in the minced tarragon. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
