Parisian Bouillabaisse

For eight persons this dish requires ten pounds of fish such as bass, angel fish groupper or any other fish having firm flesh, the tail of a small lobster and a few large crawfish; all this fish must be of a superior quality and of the very freshest. Suppress the heads and thin tail ends from all the fish after cleaning well, and with the bones, head and parings prepare a good broth. Cut the bodies of the largest ones into steaks or squares; chop up a white onions, and a piece of the white of leek; with these bestrew the bottom of a saucepan wider than its heighth, add two small seeded and chopped tomatoes, two cloves of garlic, a bay leaf, a bit of saffron, the pulp of a peeled and seeded lemon, two small peppers, a bunch of parsley and salt; in case no fresh tomatoes are on hand, use a tomato puree (No. 730), but not a sauce; lay in the pieces of fish with two gills of good olive oil, and three gills of white wine, then cover with the prepared broth, after straining and skimming it. Set the saucepan on a hot fire, boil the liquid rapidly for fifteen to eighteen minutes--the fish should by this time be thoroughly cooked and the broth succulent and slightly thickened by the reduction; season to taste, and finish with a pinch of chopped parsley, and a small piece of grated garlic. Have a deep dish, lay in it fifteen slices of plain, white bread three-quarters of an inch thick and slightly buttered; sprinkle them with a portion of the broth, turn them over and pour on the remainder. Dress the pieces of fish on another dish with a little of the broth; suppress the parsley, garlic and bay leaf, and send the two dishes to the table at the same time.