Caribbean Cookbook: Caicos Bouillabaisse From TCI’s Parallel 23

The latest Caribbean Cookbook recipe comes from Chef Lauren Callighan from the Parallel 23 restaurant at Turks and Caicos’ Regent Palms Hotel, who has been kind enough to share her recipe for Paralell 23’s signature dish, a modern take on the classic French bouillabaisse.

“This is my favorite dish at Regent Palms and is available on the Parallel 23 menu all year long,” Callighan says. “We garnish the soup with a dramatic jumbo prawn weighing over 5oz!”

Here’s the full recipe:

Caicos Bouillabaisse

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For Soup
2tbsp               Olive oil, extra virgin
2tbsp               Green onion, finely chopped
2tbsp               Shallot, finely chopped
1tsp                  Garlic, finely chopped
2tsp                 Capers black olives, pitted and finely chopped
1tsp                  Fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1tsp                  Anchovy puree

2ea                  Yukon Gold potato, peeled and small diced
4ea                  Tomatoes, seeds removed and small diced

1cup                 Homemade or excellent quality tomato sauce
1L                    Homemade fish stock
2cup                Homemade lobster stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

For Garnish
4ea                  U3 Jumbo Prawn, head on and cooked
12ea                 Black mussels, cooked in soup
8oz                  Mahi Mahi, cut into 2oz pieces, seared
8oz                  Tuna, cut into 2oz pieces, seared
4oz                  Lobster meat, cut into 1oz pieces, poached in soup
4ea                  Fennel or parsley leaves
8ea                  Baguette Crostini

Method:
1.       Season prawns, mahi, lobster and tuna with salt and pepper, set aside
2.      In a large heavy bottom pot add olive oil over medium high heat
3.      Add green onion, shallot, garlic, capers, olives and cook until translucent and aromas are released
4.      Add thyme leaves and anchovy puree, cook another 3 minutes
5.      Add potatoes and tomatoes, cook on medium heat 5 minutes
6.      Add tomato sauce and cook 8 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low
7.      Add fish and lobster stock, cook 1 hour on low heat, simmer
8.      In a separate pan, cook jumbo prawn, remove from heat and using same pan, sear mahi and tuna and add to simmering soup
9.      Add lobster meat and mussels to simmering soup, remove all seafood once cooked

To Plate:
1.       In a shallow wide rimmed bowl place cooked mahi, tuna and lobster meat, gently ladle soup over them
2.      Garnish with 3 cooked mussels and 1 jumbo prawn
3.      Place baguette crostini and fennel or parsley leaves in a decorative way and serve with Rouille sauce