A new take on Sète-style rust with olive oil

Languedoc olive oil PDO Huile d'olive de France goût intense
Subtle flavour Intense flavour
Rouille sétoise revisitée à l’huile d’olive
Photo credit: Céline de Cérou
A typical dish from the Sète region, this ‘rouille sétoise’ is made with cuttlefish and served with rouille (a saffron-flavoured aioli). Treat yourself to this reimagined recipe!
A PDO
Preparation
30 min
A PDO
Cooking time
1h25
Niveau de coût 1 sur 4 Niveau de coût 2 sur 4 Niveau de coût 3 sur 4 Niveau de coût 4 sur 4
Niveau de coût 1 sur 4 Niveau de coût 2 sur 4 Niveau de coût 3 sur 4 Niveau de coût 4 sur 4
Parties and event Regional cuisine Main course

Ingredients

A PDO
For 6 personnes
  • 1,5 kg cleaned cuttlefish or squid
  • 800 g firm-fleshed potatoes (such as Charlotte)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 blanc leek
  • 1 branche celery
  • The zest and juice of ½ an organic lemon
  • 150 g tomato purée
  • 1 petite branche thyme
  • 2 feuilles bay leaf
  • 1 bonne pincée saffron (dry-roasted to bring out the flavours)
  • 2 à 3 c. à soupe French olive oil with an intense flavour
  • Salt, pepper
For the ‘rouille’ (saffron aioli):
  • 4 gousses garlic
  • 1 jaune egg
  • 1 pincée saffron
  • 1 c. à café lemon juice
  • 10 cl Languedoc olive oil PDO
  • 2 à 3 c. à soupe strained cooking stock
  • Salt, pepper

Astuce

For this recipe for Sète-style rouille, we recommend using two types of olive oil: for the rouille itself, a Languedoc olive oil (PDO) for its prominent notes of almond and tomato.You can also use one of these olive oils: Nyons PDO or Nice PDO, or a French olive oil made from the Tanche, Cailletier or Grossane varieties...For cooking the cuttlefish, use a French olive oil with an intense flavour, pressed from fresh olives picked whilst still ripening. These olive oils are characterised by herbal and vegetal aromas and may have a mild to moderate bitterness and pungency.

Instructions

Cooking the cuttlefish:

  • In a casserole dish, fry the pieces of cuttlefish (or whole squid) in intense-flavoured French olive oil over a medium heat until they are lightly browned.

  • Add the onion, leek and celery (roughly chopped), the tomato purée, the lemon zest, thyme, bay leaf and saffron.
  • Add plenty of water. Add the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.
  • Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 1 hour, until the cuttlefish is tender and well-cooked.
Cooking potatoes:
  • Meanwhile, peel and chop the potatoes into large chunks.
  • After cooking the cuttlefish for 1 hour, add the potatoes straight into the stock.
  • Continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are tender.
How to make rouille:
  • Crush or blend the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt.
  • In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the lemon juice and garlic.

  • Gradually drizzle in the Languedoc olive oil PDO whilst whisking to create a mayonnaise-like mixture.

  • Finish by stirring in the saffron and 2 to 3 spoonfuls of warm cooking stock to thin the sauce.
Presentation and service:
  • Drain the cuttlefish and potatoes (or serve them with a little reduced stock).

  • Gently mix everything together. Serve hot or warm, with a generous spoonful of saffron-flavoured rouille on top. Serve with toasted croutons rubbed with garlic, in true Sète style.

Astuce

For this recipe for Sète-style rouille, we recommend using two types of olive oil: for the rouille itself, a Languedoc olive oil (PDO) for its prominent notes of almond and tomato.You can also use one of these olive oils: Nyons PDO or Nice PDO, or a French olive oil made from the Tanche, Cailletier or Grossane varieties...For cooking the cuttlefish, use a French olive oil with an intense flavour, pressed from fresh olives picked whilst still ripening. These olive oils are characterised by herbal and vegetal aromas and may have a mild to moderate bitterness and pungency.
We recommend...

For this recipe, choose a Languedoc olive oil (PDO) for its prominent notes of almond and tomato. You could also choose an Oliu di Corsica olive oil from Corsica (PDO), a Provence olive oil (PDO), an olive oil from Haute-Provence PDO, an olive oil from Aix-en-Provence PDO, an olive oil from the Vallée des Baux-de-Provence PDO or an olive oil from Nîmes PDO.

All recipes

You might also be interested in

Aïoli revisité
Aioli with a twist