1. Chop the fennel, onion and garlic and sauté in olive oil. Add the dry white wine and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes with the lid open so that it reduces to about half of the original volume. If you’ve got dried bay leaves and some fresh thyme, throw some in too! 2. Cube the fish fillets and add them to the vegie mixture. Add the fish stock, tomato paste and Tabasco to taste. Mix well, cover with the lid and let simmer for another 10 minutes or so while you prepare the croutons. 3. Now remove any bay leaves and/or sprigs of thyme that might be a bit woody. Add fresh parsley. 4. Blend with a hand beater and taste! 5. Now comes the most important step: Adjust the seasoning by adding a shot of Pernod or similar spirit (very important for a French recipe!), some lemon juice (about ½ lemon), some Maggi or Braggs sauce, more salt, pepper, Tabasco and/or olive oil to taste. Keep hot until ready to serve with the croutons. 6. Croutons – the easy way – nice and quick:. 7. Toast a few slices of bread (rye is best). When crisp, rub them on both sides with peeled cloves of garlic (optional), spread some olive oil to taste, and cut all slices in small cubes. Serve with the soup and enjoy! 8. Croutons and ‘rouille’ the French way – more spectacular: Slice a French stick at an angle, so you get larger slices of bread about 1cm thick. Grill them in the oven, at about 180-190 degrees until crisp and golden brown. Keep them hot while you prepare the ‘rouille’. 9. For the ‘rouille’, vitamise together a few tablespoons of a good mayonnaise, a couple of slices of roasted red capsicum (available in most delis), lemon juice and fresh garlic to taste. 10. Serve the soup in individual plates. 11. Spoon some ‘rouille’ over your slices of hot bread and place one of those slices on each plate, floating like a little pink boat on top of the soup! Season to taste with some freshly ground black pepper. 12. Serve with a glass of champagne and enjoy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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