Mediterranean Fish and Velvet Crab Soup with Rouille

Method

1. Cut the fish into chunks, bones, head and all (remove gills first). Heat the olive oil until smoking, add the garlic and onions, toss for a minute or two, add the sliced tomatoes, herbs and fish including the shells. Cook for 10 minutes, then add enough fish stock or water barely to cover. Bring to a fast boil and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add more liquid if it reduces too much.

2. Soak the saffron strands in a little fish stock. Pick out the crabs, remove as much of the crab meat from the shells as you can. Add to the soup. Taste, add salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne, saffron and the soaking liquid.

3. Push the soup and soft shells through a mouli (this may seem like an impossible task but you’ll be surprised how effective it will be - there will be just a mass of dry bones left which you discard).

4. Next make the rouille.

5. Cut the bread into cubes and soak in some hot fish soup. Squeeze out the excess liquid and mix to a mush in a bowl. Crush the garlic to a fine paste preferably in a pestle and mortar, add the egg yolk, the saffron and the soggy bread. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well and add in the oil drip by drip as if making mayonnaise. If the mixture looks too thick or oily add 2 tablespoons of hot fish soup and continue to stir.

6. Next make the croutons.

7. Toast slices of French bread slowly until they are dry and crisp. Bring the soup back to the boil. Serve each guest a bowl of fish soup with 3 or 4 croutons, a little bowl of rouille and a little bowl of freshly grated cheese.

8. To Eat

9. Spread each crouton with rouille and sprinkle with Gruyére cheese, float a few croutons in your bowl of Mediterranean fish soup. Exquisite.