‘Images and recipes from All Day Café by Stuart McKenzie (Murdoch Books). Photography by Armelle Habib. RRP $39.99.’

 

Tomato, fennel and salmon soup with saffron aioli

Serves 4–6

“Inspired by bouillabaisse, this is a hearty and comforting soup, heady with the aroma of saffron. Throw in some mussels and prawns (shrimp) and you have a delicious seafood stew.” p. 204

Bouquet garni

1 orange, zest removed in strips with a potato peeler

1 cinnamon stick

4 star anise

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

6 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs

 

Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) white wine

2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins diced tomatoes

1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) Chicken stock or Vegetable stock  (page 151)

300 g (10 1/2 oz) skinless salmon fillet, diced

a small pinch of saffron threads

 

Saffron aïoli

a pinch of saffron threads

1/2 quantity Aïoli (page 111)

 

 

To make the bouquet garni, tie all the ingredients together in a piece of muslin (cheesecloth).

 

To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, garlic and chilli and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until the onion and fennel are translucent and starting to colour.

 

Add the wine, tomatoes, stock, salmon, saffron
and bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

 

To make the saffron aioli, put the saffron in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon water and leave to soak for 15–20 minutes, to activate the stamen and release the colour. Drain, discarding the water. Add the saffron to the aïoli and mix well.

 

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of saffron aïoli.