Chicken and mussel bouillabaisse

PREP 15 MIN

 

PLUS COOKING TIME: 9 MINUTES

 

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

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INGREDIENTS

900-mL carton 

chicken broth, about 3 2/3 cups or 2 284-mL cans

2 cups 

white wines

3 

large leeks

6 

garlic cloves, minced, or 2 tbsp bottled chopped garlic

1 tsp 

saffron threads, or dried dillweed

1 tsp 

salt

3 

skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 kg 

fresh mussels

1 pint 

grape or cherry tomatoes, or 4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup 

chopped fresh dill, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pour broth and wine into a large wide saucepan or pasta pot and set over high heat. Cut root ends and dark green parts from leeks and discard. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Fan out white parts and rinse under cold water to remove any grit. Thinly slice crosswise. Add leeks, garlic, saffron and salt to broth. Boil, uncovered and stirring occasionally, to develop flavour, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut chicken into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes. Scrub mussels and remove beards. Discard any that are open. Stir chicken, then mussels and tomatoes into boiling broth. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered and stirring partway through, until chicken loses its pink colour and mussels open, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Spoon into bowls. Pour broth overtop. Sprinkle with fresh dill. Wonderful with crusty bread for dipping.

Pronounced bool-yuh-bayz, this is one of France’s most famous soups, and rightly so. Made with quick-cooking mussels and chicken, it’s speedy enough for weeknight dinners but still incredibly flavourful.

Shopping Tip

Saffron threads (the dried stamens from purple crocuses) give a gorgeous yellow colour to this supper soup. Look for them in small containers or tiny clear packets in the spice section of your supermarket. If you don’t have saffron, the soup is also delicious with dried dill.