Chicken Bouillabaisse

Make the Rouille sauce. Place 4 garlic cloves and 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp of kosher salt on a cutting board and mince together. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender. Add 1 egg yolk, 1 ¹⁄₂ tbl lemon juice, ¹⁄₂ tsp saffron, and ¹⁄₄ tsp red pepper flakes. Process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly pour 1 cup of olive oil through the feed tuube in a thin, steady stream to create a mayonnaise emulsion. Transfer the rouille to a serving bowl and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towles and season it generously with salt, pepper and the minced rosemary. Heat 2 tbl of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add 1 full head of garlic cloves (peeled), 1 tsp saffron, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 15 oz can of tomato puree, 1 ¹⁄₂ cups chicken stock, 1 cup white wine, 3 tbl Pernod, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.

Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of rouille and slices of crusty bread.