I've always been a fan of a well-crafted sandwich, and in a town like Ann Arbor, I've got a plethora of delicious sandwich choices when dining out. But sometimes I want to play mad sandwich scientist in my own kitchen, finding the perfect cheese to pair with sourdough or the right ratio of meat to vegetable matter.

I found this recipe for bouillabaisse sandwiches in the 2006 Food & Wine annual cookbook. I was immediately arrested by the photo of a perfectly pan-fried fillet nestled on bright red tomato slices and saffrony-yellow mayonnaise and topped with shaved fennel and roasted red peppers.

But recreating a favorite soup as a sandwich? Would that work? The short answer is a resounding yes.

Bouillabaisse is a classic French stew usually made with a variety of fish and seasoned with garlic, saffron and fennel. And surprisingly, it translates quite well to sandwich form.

I picked out some gorgeous fresh halibut and had my fishmonger skin and fillet it, but you can find nice fillets of fresh-frozen fish in the freezer section that can work if fresh fish isn't available.

Saffron can be found in the spice aisle. While it can be expensive (in the neighborhood of $7-8), one package of saffron threads will last you through many recipes, and there is no real replacement for its gorgeous flavor.

I made my sandwiches with Zingerman's sourdough bread, cut thick to stand up to the sandwich ingredients. Lightly toast the bread and rub it with the cut side of a clove of garlic to add just a hint of flavor.

From start to finish, this meal took me 30 minutes to prepare. It makes a delightful weekend lunch or an easy weeknight dinner. Food & Wine recommends pairing it with a light-bodied French rosé.

Bouillabaisse Sandwiches
adapted from Food & Wine magazine

Ingredients
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads in 2 teaspoons hot water
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups baby arugula
1 small fennel bulb, halved, cored and very thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Four 4-ounce skinless halibut or mahi mahi fillets, fresh or quick frozen and thawed
8 slices of artisan bread, toasted, rubbed with garlic
Paprika, for sprinkling
4 piquillo peppers, or 2 roasted bell peppers, halved
1 large plum tomato, thinly sliced

Directions
1. Stir the saffron into the mayonnaise; season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the arugula, fennel, shallot and lemon juice; season.
3. Melt the butter in the oil in a skillet. Season the fish with salt and pepper; cook over high heat for 3 minutes per side.
4. Spread the bread with the saffron mayonnaise; sprinkle with paprika. Fill the sandwiches with the fish, peppers, tomato and arugula salad, and serve.

Serves 4.

Jessica Webster leads the Food & Drink section for the AnnArbor.com community team. You can reach her at JessicaWebster@AnnArbor.com.

Special bonus:
In honor of the saffron in this dish, here's a little ditty from Donovan for your listening enjoyment: