Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse

A classic Provençal fisherman's stew from Marseille, served in two courses: the saffron-scented broth first with rouille-topped croutons, then the poached fish and shellfish.

Prep

40 min

Cook

50 min

Total

90 min

Serves

4–6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• •1 large leek, white and light green parts, sliced, or null
• •1 medium onion, diced, or null
• •1 bulb fennel, sliced, fronds reserved for garnish
• •2 stalks celery, diced, or null
• •4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• •3 ripe tomatoes (3 large) tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 400 g (14 oz) canned
• •2 strips orange zest, removed with a peeler, or null
• •1 pinch saffron threads, generous, plus extra for rouille
• •1 each bay leaf and thyme sprig, tied together, or null
• •250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine, like Muscadet or Provence blanc
• •1.5 l (6⅓ cups) fish stock or water, light, unsalted
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) monkfish tail, cut into 4 cm chunks
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) sea bass or red snapper, fillets, skin on, cut into large pieces
• •300 g (10½ oz) red mullet or small snapper, scaled and gutted, or filleted, or null
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded, discard any open ones
• •1 baguette (1 small) baguette, sliced diagonally into 1 cm thick croutons
• •1 clove garlic, peeled and halved, for rubbing croutons
• •1 large egg yolk, for rouille
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, for rouille
• •1 slices (1 slice) stale white bread, crust removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry, for rouille
• •1 pinch saffron threads, steeped in 1 tbsp hot water, for rouille
• •1 pinch cayenne pepper, to taste, for rouille
• •1 pinch salt, for rouille

Steps

1. 1 Heat 60 ml (¼ cup) of the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek, onion, fennel, celery, and half the garlic; cook, stirring, until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes, without browning.
2. 2 Stir in the tomatoes, orange zest, saffron, bay leaf-thyme bundle, and wine. Bring to a simmer and let reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
3. 3 Add the fish stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes to infuse the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. 4 While the broth simmers, make the rouille: in a small bowl, mash the soaked bread with the remaining minced garlic, egg yolk, steeped saffron, cayenne, and salt. Slowly whisk in the remaining 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) olive oil drop by drop until thick and emulsified. If too thick, add a teaspoon of warm water. Cover and refrigerate.
5. 5 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Rub the baguette slices with the halved garlic clove, brush with a little olive oil, and toast on a baking sheet for 5–7 minutes until golden. Set aside.
6. 6 When the broth is ready, strain it through a colander, pressing on the vegetables to extract all flavor. Return the strained broth to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Discard the solids.
7. 7 Add the monkfish and sea bass to the simmering broth. Cook for 4 minutes, then add the red mullet and mussels. Cook for another 4–6 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork (internal temperature 63°C/145°F) and the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
8. 8 Serve the broth first: ladle it into bowls, float a crouton in each, and top with a generous spoonful of rouille. Then serve the fish and mussels on a platter, with remaining croutons and rouille on the side. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds.