Bouillabaisse

For Croutons

12-16 (1/2 inch) baguette slices
3 Tb olive oil
1 garlic cloves, halved

For Soup

2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 c olive oil
1 lb boiling potatoes
1/3 c finely chpped fennel fronds
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/4 tea crumbled saffron threads
1 1/2 Tb sea salt
9 c fish stock
3 lbs white fish fillets (monkfish, red snapper, bass, grouper, cod) cut into 2-in wedges
1/2 lb cockles or small hard-shelled clams, scrubbed
1/2 lb cultivated mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
1/2 lb large shrimp
Rouille

Make croutons:
Put oven rack in middle position and prehead oven to 250. Arrange gluten free bread slices in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and brush both sides with oil. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast with a cut side of garlic.

Make soup:
Cook tomatoes, onion, and garlic in oil in cleaned 6-8 quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 507 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-in cubes. Stir potatoes into tomatoes with fennel fronds, bay leaf, saffron, sea salt, and pepper. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 8-10 minutes.

Add thicker pieces of fish and cockles to soup and simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in mussels, shrimp, and remaining fish and simmer covered, until they are just cooked through and mussels are open wide, about 5 minutes.

Stir 3 Tb broth from soup into rouille until blended.

Arrange 2 croutons in each of 6-8 deep soup bowls. Carefully transfer fish and shellfish from soup to croutons with a slotted spoon, then ladle some broth with vegetables over seafood.

Top each serving with 1 tea rouille and serve remainder on the side.

Rouille:
3 Tb water
3/4 c coarse fresh gluten free bread crumbs
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tea coarse sea salt
1/2 tea cayenne
3 Tb olive oil

Pour water over bread crumbs in a bowl. Mash garlic to a paste with sea salt and cayenne using a mortar and pestle. Add moistened bread brumbs and mash into garlic paste. Add oil in a slow stream, mashing and stirring vigorously with pestle until combined well.