This traditional French seafood soup is hearty and highly versatile; try using other seafood, like lobster, clams, or crab. The fish is usually removed from the soup and served on a plate. The fish and soup may be served separately or at the same time. Get more gourmet Michelin recipes

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 medium leeks (whites parts only), chopped
1.2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh parsley
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
½ teaspoon sage
1/16 teaspoon ground saffron
1 bay leaf
1 orange
2 lbs. canned tomatoes
28 oz. chicken stock
16 oz. clam juice
2 cups water
10 black peppercorns
4 lbs. fish trimmings (tails, heads, fins, and bones)
4 lbs. fish (3 or more types; salmon, halibut, sole, turbot, rockfish, trout, etc.)
1 lb. raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 lbs. hot, boiled, small thin-skinned potatoes
Salt
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
For the Rouille:
1 egg
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 small dried hot chiles
2 garlic cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup olive oil

Begin by preparing the Rouille: In a food processor or blender, blend the egg, wine vinegar, chiles, garlic, salt, and bread crumbs. Turn the machine to high and little by little add the 1 cup of oil. Pulse until well blended. Cover and refrigerate

In a large pot placed over medium high heat, pour the ½ cup of oil. Add the onions, leeks, parsley, and garlic and sauté until onions are tender. Add the thyme, sage, saffron, and bay leaf.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel a 4 in. strip of peel off the orange. Add this to the onion mixture. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Add the stock, clam juice, water, peppercorns, and fish trimmings. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 hour.

Strain the soup, pressing the vegetables and fish trimmings to remove as much liquid from them as possible. Discard the vegetables and fish trimmings or use them to make fish stock another day.

Pour the broth back into the large pot and bring to a simmer. Add the thickest fish, followed by the thinner fish and shrimp. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer gently until fish easily flakes. Remove the pot from the stove.

Remove the fish from the pot with a slotted spatula. Place on a platter, alongside the potatoes.

Place the pot back on the stove and bring the broth to a boil. Season. Serve the broth sprinkled with cheese. Serve Rouille on the side to spoon over the fish, potatoes, and broth.