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