Bonjour! It is a gorgeous sunny day, and the birds are chirping out melodies of joy. Today, I am excited to share my cooking lesson with you. As you know, we four women ate at Le Sixieme Sens earlier in the week and were charmed by the “cave” experience and the owner, Lionel. He invited us back and said he would cook anything for us, perhaps a French recipe we had never tried before. We put our heads together, looked through some cookbooks, and came up with Bourride, a type of fish soup. I emailed him our choice and, on second thought, asked if I might watch the process. The reply was “oui” and could I be there at 2 pm? Of course!
I walked into the restaurant, and Lionel did not waste any time handing me an apron and asking me to please slice the fennel and leeks he had cleaned and organized on a cutting board. I was thrilled. Not only could I watch, I would be his sous chef for this recipe! I washed my hands and quickly got to work in his pristine kitchen. He asked me how I chose the recipe for Bourride. I replied that it was something you would not find on a menu in the States, and I could smell the melange of flavors in my mind. He commented that it is an ancient recipe that your grandmother would have made. The recipe for Bourride is in Lionel’s head, and ingredient after ingredient appears in a small refrigerator below the counter. Into a giant, maybe three-gallon stockpot, we toss leeks, fennel, onion, parsley, and garlic. I will write out a rough recipe to share on a separate page from this post.
Next, we add a cupful of cherry tomatoes, which he says have better taste than the larger whole tomatoes. “Now you can stir the pot.” The vegetables sweat as we continue to add a tube of tomato concentrate, generous sprinklings of pepper, and sel gris (gray salt), which has more depth than regular salt. As we cook, I try to extract as much as I can about this man in my beginner French. Lionel’s mother is a passionate cook who prepares international dishes for the family. This influence and appreciation for food led him to experiment with different recipes while DJ’ing in St. Etienne for 14 years. Six years ago, he came to Carcassonne to realize his dream, opening Le Sixieme Sens, appropriately named because he creates the tastes and smells for your six senses. He manages the kitchen by himself and enthusiastically cooks for his guests.
Back to the Bourride—into the pot goes the whole fish, eyeballs and all, Poisson Roche, a kind of rockfish, and Lotte. Next, a handful of thyme and turmeric and a few quarts of water. This all simmers for three hours.
A rouille is the traditional accompaniment for the dish, so we begin with fresh, homemade mayonnaise, to which I add finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric, and a tiny dash of hot pepper sauce. We reserve this for dinner tonight. Lionel asks, can I return at 6 pm to finish the soup? Ma oiu!
The next step in this lengthy process is to strain the gallons of fish broth we prepared earlier into another stock pot. First, Lionel uses a hand processor to blend all the simmered ingredients. Okay, I am game, and in this steamy kitchen, I sweat as I ladle spoonfuls after spoonfuls of broth into this small strainer.
15 minutes later, we have the Bourride. It simmers again on the stove to reduce by a third. The finishing touches come tonight.
The first course is the delicious soup, so creamy with gentle fish flavors and a hint of the fennel and leek. I had never tasted such depth and richness without the help of cream and butter. Served with toasted baguettes and the garlicky rouille, it exceeds my expectations.
After the first course of soup, Lionel gently poaches fresh fish of lotte, loup, meurlu, squid, and calamari. This second course is served separately on a giant platter, enough food for 10 people!
A chardonnay from Limoux, a local wine-growing region, paired perfectly with the Bourride.
Merci Lionel for a very memorable experience. I enjoyed every minute of cooking and learning with you! Good luck with your new tapas bar set, which will open in the fall.
Au Revoir!
Mary