With a surprisingly entertaining Spanish GP last weekend, we now look forward to perhaps Formula 1’s most famous track on the calendar, Monaco. After we saw the new regulations drastically improve the racing during our last GP, it gives us all a glimmer of hope that it just might be able to do the same at Monaco too…even if it is only a glimmer. Set on the streets of the sovereign city-state that borders the Mediterranean, this country draws a lot of its culture from its neighbours, in particularly France. Originating in Marseille, just a bit further down the French coast from Monaco, this week’s dish was taken in by the Monegasque people and is now one of their own traditional dishes. Utilising the waters that the streets of Monte Carlo overlook, this week’s dish is a fish stew called Bouillabaisse. Starting from humble beginnings as a cheap dish that the local sailors would make with their leftover fish, today the dish is seen as much more prestigious as it did back then and is one of Monaco’s favourites.
How was the Spanish GP?
For the last few years, the Spanish GP has been seen by some as a bit of a dull race. With cars struggling to overtake at the track and strategy being a big factor in how each team would eventually do, this race wasn’t exactly an exciting one for the casual fan. However with the introduction of the new regulations, there was a lot of hope that this might not have been the case this year and thankfully, our hope was rewarded as the Spanish GP had action pretty much from start to finish.
On the Saturday, it was once again Ferrari and Red Bull who were battling out for pole position and after Leclerc didn’t manage to set a time on his first run in Q3, it looked like it was going to be Verstappen who would take the spot at the front of the grid on the Sunday. That was until the drivers came out for their second runs, with Leclerc nailing his lap and taking pole position back from Max. The Dutchman may have had the chance to retake the spot away from Charles, had it not been for the Red Bull driver losing power on his last lap, leaving the Monegasque to retain his position at the front of the grid for the race.
Sadly for Leclerc, his luck didn't last all weekend though as he was forced to retire from the race. Having lead from the start and looking set to go on and win the race comfortably, the Ferrari driver suffered an engine issue which saw his chance to retain the lead of the Drivers Championship slip out of his grasp. Ferrari's bad weekend didn't stop there though, with Leclerc's teammate Sainz sliding into a gravel trap, any chance of a Ferrari victory was gone and the Spanish driver was fortunate to finish 4th in the end, another disappointing result considering that Charles had shown that the Ferrari had the ability to win that race.
With both Ferrari drivers out of contention for the win, you would have thought that it was then going to be Red Bull's to run away with. That wasn't quite the case though as George Russell decided to make it a bit harder for the Red Bull's than they would've liked. Having had some positive upgrades to the Mercedes for this race, the Brit was able to battle both Red Bull's at the front for a large part of the race. Sadly for Russell though, without the help of a teammate and with Red Bull still having the superior car, he was unable to hold them back for the entirety of the race as he was eventually overtaken and finished 3rd in the end, a result that would have seemed disappointing at the time but was actually a great result for Mercedes overall. It should also be noted that Hamilton also had a fantastic race, going from the very back of the pack, right up to 5th and was actually unlucky not to finish 4th in the end.
With the Ferrari's out of the picture and George Russell's Mercedes unable to compete the whole race, it was a 1-2 for Red Bull at the Spanish GP. The dominant victory was enough for Red Bull and Max Verstappen to take the lead of both the Constructors and the Driver's Championships respectively. With such a strong driver pairing and arguably having the best car on the grid, depending on what track they're at, it looks increasingly likely that Red Bull very well could push on from here and go on to extend their lead at the front, that is, unless Ferrari can manage to hit back at Monaco.
Why is Monaco so famous?
Although Ferrari will be keen to bounce back after last weekend, one of their drivers will be wanting to achieve a good result even more than his own team. Charles Leclerc will not only be looking to regain his lead in the Driver's Championship, but will also be looking to perform well because it's his home GP. The renowned track is synonymous with F1 but even after all its years in the sport, there has never been a Monegasque winner there.
Growing up, Leclerc has said that he would miss school in order to watch the grand prix as F1 rolled into town. Having seen some of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen, such as Schumacher, Hamilton and Vettel winning grand prix's there, must have filled the young local with aspirations of achieving the same thing himself one day. With the race taking place on the very streets that he grew upon, it really would be a special moment for the driver if he was able to achieve a victory here this weekend.
With Monaco being one of only 4 tracks still on the calendar since it's inaugural season in 1950, it's not hard to see why this track is so synonymous with Formula 1. With the country having a love for motorsport even before F1 was created, it's clear to understand why this race is just so important. Although a lot has changed over those 70 years, one thing that Monaco can claim is that the track is not one of them. Practically remaining the same to this day as it was back then, minus a few slight changes to a couple corners, this is one of the most special victories that a driver can achieve in their career as it's the same track that the legends of this sport raced around.
Although the track might not have changed, the cars most definitely have and unfortunately for us, that is to the detriment of the race here. With the cars getting bigger and heavier as the years have gone on, racing around the tight roads of Monaco has become increasingly more difficult. The cars now struggle to overtake and the race has now become much more about the drivers ability to concentrate through it's entirety, how well the pit crews perform and hoping to catch a lucky break with a safety car.
Even though the racing may have suffered, there's still a lot of excitement around the Monaco GP. The qualifying on a Saturday is perhaps the most anticipated session of the year and seeing a driver hook up a lap, inch perfect, is one of the most impressive things to see in the sport and for that reason, this track more than deserves to retain itself on the calendar.
What to expect from this weekend in Monaco?
Although Leclerc will be hoping to achieve victory this weekend, the Monegasque does still have the unfortunate stat against his name of never having finished a GP at his home race. Although he has been in great positions in the past to not only finish the race, but potentially win too, misfortune has always been just around the corner for the driver and any chance of finishing the race has been dashed. Now though, the Ferrari driver finds himself with his best opportunity to finally buck his Monaco curse. With Leclerc finding himself in a car that can finally compete at the front of the grid this season, and Red Bulls main advantage of straight line speed being practically nullified at this track, the Monegasque has a great chance to finally secure an emotional win at his home GP.
Both Perez and Verstappen will still be looking to burst Leclerc's Monaco dream though as they look to extend their teams lead at the top of the Championship. With overtaking nearly impossible at this track, the pair will be looking to secure a great result on the Saturday and then hold back the Ferrari's in the race. With Ferrari looking to do the complete inverse though to Red Bull, qualifying will be especially tense as it draws towards its end and each team will be pushing to get everything out of their cars as possible on this tight and unforgiving track.
Further down the grid, Mercedes will be hoping that they can remain ahead of the rest of the midfield teams this weekend and again, try to ruin the Ferrari/Red Bull domination at the front as Spain showed us all that they're now able to tangle with them at the front, even if it may not be for an entire race yet. After practically eradicating their porpoising problem in Spain, it remains to be seen if that will still be the case though in Monaco, as the tight and twisty track is completely different to the track we raced on in Spain last week. The same could also be said for every team though, as Monaco really is a track like no other on the calendar, and the changes in elevation, coupled with the tight corners just might show up a few surprising problems for a couple of teams.
What is Bouillabaisse?
Situated in the south of France, Monaco shares a lot of its culture with the much larger nation that surrounds it. They share a language, compete in a lot of the same sporting events and even share their love of food with each other. The links between the two nations expand much further beyond this but it’s that last point I mentioned which is what I want to focus on.
Originally founded in Marseille, Bouillabaisse was created by the local fisherman, who made the dish as a way to use up the fish that they struggled to sell. This would normally end up being the bonier types of fish and whatever shellfish wasn’t that popular at the fish markets. Over time, this dish grew in popularity and is now seen as a bit more of a luxurious meal in France, as well as Monaco.
Although traditionally, the dish simply used whatever fish was cheap and less popular, back in 1980, the dish had gained such popularity that a group of chefs came together to set a some rules for how this dish should be made, mainly as a way to stop it being cheaply made and sold onto tourists that knew no better, and likely, to keep business flowing their way as well as they were making Bouillabaisse the "official" way.
Mainly using fish from the Mediterranean such as Red Rascasse (some of you may recognise that name as it's one of the famous corners on the Monaco circuit), Sea Robin and European Conger. The dish can have other fish in it as well but once again, these are often ones found in and around the 'Med', which poses a slight problem if you're not able to buy fish from this area. Therefore, the recipe I've listed below should be easy enough to tailor to whatever fish you have available in your own area. Going back to the dishes routes of using whichever cheap is the most readily available and/or the cheapest, you too can make this dish in the exact same way.
Finally, the last part of this dish is the Rouille that it's accompanied with. This sauce is in essence, a slightly spiced mayonnaise that is most famously used in accompaniment with Bouillabaisse. When I've made this dish in the past, I normally end up spooning some of this onto some bread, normally a sliced baguette, and using it to dip into the soup/stew of the dish. It's delicious and pairs with the dish just perfectly.
Recipe For Bouillabaisse
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients For Bouillabaisse
3 types of Fish / 900g-1kg of Fish (I use Mackerel, Cod Loin and Basa, all skinned and deboned for ease)
300g-450g Mussels (scrubbed and debearded)
300g Shrimp/Prawns (peeled and deveined)
1 Fennel Bulb (roughly chopped) (save the fronds for a garnish if possible)
1 Carrot (roughly chopped)
2 Celery Sticks (roughly chopped)
1 small Leek (roughly chopped)
4 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped/minced)
2 Tomatoes (roughly chopped and deseeded)
2Tbsp Tomato Puree/Paste
3 strips of Orange Peel
2l Boiling Water
2 Bay Leaves
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
3 Fish Stock Cubes
200ml Dry White Wine
Ground Black Pepper
Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Tub of Crabmeat (optional) (this will depend on just how "fishy" you want the dish to be)
Splash of Pastis (for example Pernod) (Optional)
Fresh Parsley (for garnish)
Baguette (to serve with)
Ingredients for the Rouille
1 Garlic Clove
3 Egg Yolks
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Breadcrumbs
Salt
1/4tsp Cayenne Pepper
Small Pinch Saffron Threads
Lemon Juice
Instructions
Start by chopping your veg roughly as you'll be straining the stew later on, removing the veg from the dish. Dillute your stock cubes into the 2 litres of water.
In a large saucepan/Dutch Oven, begin to heat a splash of oil before then adding your garlic, onion, fennel, celery, leek and carrot and cooking on a medium high heat for 5-10 minutes.
Next, add in the tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for a further 2 minutes.
After this, add in the stock, bay leaves, orange peels, white wine, thyme sprigs and season with some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil before then reducing it down to a low simmer, leaving for a couple hours to reduce slightly with the pan lightly covered with a lid.
While your saucepan simmers, begin making your Rouille by pounding your garlic into a paste, ideally in a pestle and mortar. After that, add in the egg yolks and mix until they begin to thicken up.
Slowly begin to add and mix in some olive oil until it forms a paste like substance and then add in your saffron and cayenne pepper and mix them throughout the sauce. Add a small squeeze of lemon and some salt to taste.
Finally, add some breadcrumbs to thicken up the sauce until it's to your liking. If you add too much, simply add some more lemon juice or cold water to the sauce. Place in a bowl and cover to stop the Rouille forming a skin.
Next, scrub and debeard your mussels under cold water if they're not already done. Be sure to throw away any mussels that don't open.
Skin and bone your fish if not done already and cut them into small chunks. Clean your prawns/shrimp if needed to as well.
Next, strain your stock, removing all vegetables and other items, leaving just the broth behind. Turn the heat up to a medium and add in your mussels and fish. Ensure all the fish is covered in broth. If adding in crab meat, do so at this point if uncooked. If cooked, add in the next step.
After 5 minutes, add in your prawns/shellfish and cook for a further 5 minutes.
After this, your fish should all be white and cooked. Add in a squeeze of lemon and a glug of pastis if you're adding any. Season to taste and then serve your Bouillabaisse, garnishing with parsely and fennel fronds. Serve up with your Rouille spread onto your sliced baguette.
Tips
Some recipes will add in some clam sauce in their Bouillabaisse. With this not being so easily accessible, I have made in this in the past with a few splashes of fish sauce and thought it was still a good addition, even if it's not exactly traditional.
Feel free to cook this dish with whatever fish/shellfish you desire. Monkfish is a great option to use and other options such as Red Snapper and Langoustines are also commonly used.
Traditionally, you would make your own fish stock using the heads and bones from the fish that you're going to use. If you would prefer to make your Bouillabaisse this way then that's even better but for ease, I opted to use simple fish stock cubes to make this recipe easier for people to use themselves.
Some recipes will also serve this dish with some form of potatoes, normally either scalloped or as a mash. I've never opted to add these into mine when making this before but I can understand why some might want to as it will bulk out the dish a bit more.
Well, that's our Monaco dish all covered. Apologies for the delay in getting this post out but hopefully you still enjoyed it and will make this recipe in the future still. This dish does take a little bit longer to cook but in my opinion, the wait is worth the wait.
Our next post will be covering the Azerbaijan GP as the drivers take to the streets of Baku. I had to spend a lot of time finding a dish for this grand prix but eventually, I managed to find and create one that's very different, but definitely worth trying. Plus, it's super easy to make. Keep an eye out for it by following the page on socials. Links below.
Have a good week.
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