Bouillabaisse
Originating in Marseille France, the bouillabaisse is a simple fisherman stew based on fish that were traditionally not appreciated by the buyers at the market. When you make this recipe it is important to keep the fish heads, frames and tails, which usually entails cleaning the fish yourself, so you can keep all the good parts.
It can be served as two dishes, the broth first and the fish later, or as a single dish. The rouille, a spicy mayonnaise which is spread on thick slices of country bread and floated on the bouillabaisse when served.
Ingredients
- Any fish including grondin (English sea robin), rascasse (Scorpaena scrofa), rouget grondin (red gurnard), baudroie (lotte, or monkfish), Saint-Pierre (English John Dory), vive (English weever) or congre (European conger).
- A firm fish including sea bass, sea bream (Sparus aurata).
- Any shellfish including large prawns, lobster, mussels, scallops or sea urchins, étrilles (velvet crabs).
- 8 pistils of saffron
- Fennel seeds, 2 tsp
- Garlic, 4 or 5 cloves
- Bay leaf
- Thyme, 1 tsp
- 3 sprigs of parsley
- Ripe Tomatoes, 6 cups chopped
- Onions, 2 cups
- Leeks, 2 cups
- Olive oil, one cup
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Ingredients
- Orange peel, 5cm.
- Cayenne pepper.
- Pernod (or any anise spirit based)
- Potatoes, peeled
Preparation
Start by adding the olive oil and the chopped onions and leeks to a large pot, when the onion is translucent add the garlic, and after a few minutes put in the tomatoes. Stir well and proceed to add your herbs, the saffron, the fennel seeds, bay leaf and parsley sprigs. Season with salt and any of the optional ingredients (except potatoes) at this stage. Next add 2 liters of water and let it boil for 20 minutes.
While the broth boils you can prepare the fish. Cut the head off and remove the guts and the gills. Add any fish heads, frames and tails you get from your fish into the stock and boil them for another 20 or 30 minutes.
After all this time you should have a fragrant and tasty broth. Turn it off and using a colander filter the broth from the vegetables and fish parts. This broth is half the bouillabaisse, so this is your chance to add salt and pepper, to tune it to perfection. And set it to boil again.
This is a good time to add the peeled potatoes, if you have them.
Depending on what fish you have, you should always add the firm fish first (e.g. sea bass or bream), wait 5 minutes and add the softer fish lowering the heat so that the boil is softer. Wait another 5 minutes and add the shellfish, which should be cooked with the rest another 10, or at most 15 minutes. It is easy to overcook fish so be mindful to lower the heat and wait longer if necessary.
To serve fish out the fish from the broth and serve in separate dishes, one containing the broth (with the rouille if you made some) and another platter containing the fish meat and shellfish.
This stew will serve 4 hungry stewlovers.
rouille
- 4 saffron threads
- 1/4 cup boiling water, plus up to 2 tablespoons more if needed
- 2 garlic cloves
- Coarse salt
- 1 cup torn white bread, crust removed
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
Rouille preparation
Crush saffron, and place in a medium bowl. Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over; steep 15 minutes. Add bread and egg yolk to saffron water and stir.
In a different container mash garlic into a paste and add cayenne, paprika, and season with salt.
Mix the garlic paste into the bowl.
Gradually add 1/4 cup oil, drop by drop, stirring constantly until smooth.