bouillabaisse: why? because you want to

In our family, at Christmas Eve dinner, no matter where we are, my Mom brings the bouillabaisse. Mixed seafood, mussels, their shells, shrimp, calamari rings, slow-cooked in a homey, comforting tomato broth.

Not a sauce, mind you. Some say bouillabaisse is a "broth-lowered" a.k.a. reduction-style, rustic dish.

Mom would probably never make bouillabaisse in the summer, but think about it - tomatoes are at their peak, seafood is fresh and light, and it's a tasty treat that goes well with just about anything, especially white wine.

A Times article earlier this year inspired me, and soon after I discovered that an Emeril cookbook I'd been given featured a pretty nice recipe for bouillabaisse, so on Easter I made my first batch at the lake. I used fish I'd hooked earlier that day (some fresh largemouth bass), but what I like best about the idea of making bouillabaisse is that you don't need to limit yourself to a specific kind of fish.

Think of it this way: in my eyes it's simply a mixture of fish, at least one other kind of seafood, served in a homestyle tomato broth with chunks of fresh tomato. The recipe calls for a little wine, so Eastertime what else to do but sit there, throw on some vinyl, chop vegetables and drink the rest of the wine.

Cook it at your own pace, talk Billy Joel with your friends in the kitchen. The result is perfect comfort in a bowl, and it's a great way to use and even exploit tomatoes right now while they're at their peak.

I mean, have you ever really had a good tomato in the dead of winter anyway?

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-1 to 1 1/2 pounds fish of your choice, filleted

-1.5 cups chopped onions

-1 cup chopped bell peppers

-1/2 cup chopped celery

-3 chopped garlic cloves

-1/2 stick butter

-2 cups chopped, seeded, peeled tomoatoes

-3 bay leaves

-1/2 pound of cleaned, peeled, de-veined shrimp

-3 ounces white wine

-parsley

I'm going to go anarchist here and say to cook bouillabaisse this simple way. And, for the love of God, take ownership of it and all your food. Go nuts, be bold. Take. Ownership.

You're working with layers here.

Throw a half-stick of butter down into a large pot or a cast-iron if you have one, then layer a third of the chopped vegetables (celery, onion, green or red peppers), a third of the tomatoes (skinned, chopped, seeded), followed by a third of the fish you have on hand (your choice, but go with something white and mild).

Throw down salt, pepper, a dash of the garlic and a small dash of cayenne pepper to your tasting, topped with a bay leaf and repeat all the layers two more times.

Your terrine-like concoction is so easy and simple, just do it.

Three layers: veg, tomato, fish, spices, bay leaf.

Top it all with one layer of shrimp, put that puppy on medium-low heat and pour about 3 ounces of white wine into one corner of the pot and shut the lid.

Walk away, keep heat pretty low, and keep that lid on for an hour.

Before the hour's up, your place will smell wonderfully. When it's done, give it a stir just to mix up the layers a bit, and fish out the bay leaves. They aren't poisonous and won't kill you, but get 'em out before you spoon into a bowl. Garnish with parsley for a little verdant kick that will nicely balance out the zip of the pepper.

Done.

Bonus Points and Tips
-Cut the onions however you want to. I never cut them the way TV chefs do, sideways then top-down, but last night I tried it and... sliced my finger. Nothing like finishing the onion cutting with a wound.
-Don't forget about the extra wine.
-If you are, by chance, making this in winter, take advantage of the nearby fireplace if it's going and toast a little bread. Better yet, have your friends or date toast it.