Cornish bouillabaisse

Method

1. To make the aioli, put the egg yolks in a food processor with the lemon juice, garlic, mustard and a good pinch of sea salt. Whizz until just combined then, with the motor still running, pour the oil slowly in through the funnel in a fine, slow stream until all of it is incorporated and emulsified. Gently stir the steeped saffron into the mayo until it has a burnished golden hue (or the colour ‘tarky’, as I know it). Taste for seasoning and reserve in the fridge.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large lidded saucepan over a medium heat, then add the leeks, fennel and garlic. Fry until softened, then add the tomato purée and stir gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the steeped saffron and water, basil, orange zest and juice, pernod/vermouth, fish stock and chopped tomatoes, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the mussels to the sauce, cover the pan with the lid and cook for 5-6 minutes until they open. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
4. Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth, then pour the sauce back into a large clean pan and simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes until reduced.
5. Meanwhile, remove most of the mussels from their shells, reserving a few in their shells for garnish (3 per person). Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then put the gurnard fillets, skin-side up, in the sauce along with the prawns and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until cooked through. Finally, add the cooked mussels and mussels in their shells back to the pan to warm through.
6. Divide the bouillabaisse among bowls (3 in-the-shell mussels per person) and finish off with a few extra basil leaves, the reserved fennel fronds and a drizzle of oil. Serve with toasted sourdough and the aioli.