Bouillabaise

Ingredients

 * 2 lbs 4 oz fish (4 or 5 varieties such as: stripped black bass, red snapper, ocean perch, monkfish, anglerfish and conger eel)
 * 4 large onions, sliced
 * 6-8 ripe tomatoes, sliced
 * 1 leek, thinly sliced
 * 8 cloves garlic, crushed
 * coarse salt & ground black pepper
 * crushed red pepper flakes
 * 3-4 dried fennel stalks or a small glass of Pernod or Pastis
 * 2 bay leaves
 * 1/2 teaspoon saffron
 * olive oil
 * 1 potato for each serving
 * 1 strip dried orange peel
 * 6-8 ripe tomatoes,sliced
 * water or fish stock
 * garlic croutons
 * rouille sauce

Directions
Combine the sliced onions, tomatoes, leek and crushed garlic in a shallow heat-proof casserole. Place the sliced fish on top. Pound the leftover fish heads and add to the casserole to give the bouillon extra flavor. Sprinkle with coarse salt, red pepper flakes and ground pepper to taste. Add bay leaves, dried fennel, dried orange peel and saffron and moisten with olive oil. Stir to mix the flavors, adding more olive oil if necessary. Marinate this mixture covered and at room temperature for 5 hours. When ready to cook the bouillaibaise, peel the potatoes, slice them into 1/4-inch slices and add them to the fish mixture with just enough water, or fish stock, to come within 1/2-inch of the top of the fish and potatoes. Cook the bouillabaise uncovered for 10 minutes, lower the heat and cook gently for 15-20 minutes more. Serve the bouillon separately with garlic croutons and rouille sauce. Accompany the bouillon with a platter of poached fish and sliced potatoes, moistened with a little of the bouillon. Serves 6