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–+ servings

Bouillabaisse

Dinner
Bouillabaisse is a fragrant, hearty summery fish stew brimming with tender chunks of fresh seafood, infused with saffron, herbs, and the subtle aniseed warmth of Pastis. Born from humble fishermen’s need to make the most of their catch, this iconic dish has evolved into a beloved French classic!
Bouillabaisse recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients 

Fish and seafood
Soup base
Fish stock
Rouille sauce

Equipment

Instructions

  1. 1. Prepare the fish and shrimps for stock and soup
    Start by carefully filleting the whole Dover sole and whole sea bass. Use a sharp knife to cut along the backbone and remove the fillets, setting these aside for the soup later. Keep the bones, heads and frames from both fish (all the parts left after filleting) as these are perfect for making a rich, flavourful fish stock. Peel your shrimps and put the shells aside.
  2. 2. Make the fish stock
    Rinse the fish bones, heads, frames, and shrimp shells thoroughly under cold water to remove any blood or impurities that can otherwise make the stock cloudy or bitter. Place these cleaned parts in a dutch oven. Add roughly chopped carrot, celery, quartered onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley stalks, and 1 litre of water.
    Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Avoid boiling rapidly, which can cloud the stock; a gentle simmer will extract flavours clearly. Let it cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. This process draws out all the savoury juices and creates the flavorful base for your bouillabaisse.
  3. 3. Strain and blend vegetables
    Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove all bones, shells, and solids. Reserve the cooked vegetables separately from the clear stock.
    Using a blender or food processor, blend the cooked vegetables with a small amount of the strained stock until smooth. Return this vegetable purée to the clear stock and stir well to create a rich, textured broth that remains clear but carries body and flavour from the vegetables.
    Keep this combined fish stock and vegetable purée warm and set aside.
  4. 4. Prepare the remaining vegetables
    Slice the onion, fennel, and leek. Dice the tomatoes and potatoes into nice chunks.
  5. 5. Begin the soup base
    Gently heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, fennel, and leek, sautéing until the onion turns translucent and fragrant.
  6. 6. Add spices and tomatoes
    Sprinkle in the fennel seeds and saffron threads, followed by the minced garlic, tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir well and cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
  7. 7. Deglaze and add stock
    Deglaze the pot with pastis and white wine, allowing the alcohol to reduce slightly. Then pour in the fish stock.
  8. 8. Cook potatoes and herbs
    Add the chopped potatoes and bay leaves into the pot, simmering gently over medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes soften but hold shape.
  9. 9. Add seafood and cook
    Cut the reserved sea bass and Dover sole fillets into large chunks. Add these along with cleaned mussels and shrimps to the simmering broth. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until fish is opaque, shrimp is pink, and mussels have opened. Discard any unopened mussels.
  10. 10. Prepare the rouille sauce
    Infuse saffron threads in lemon juice. Blend egg yolks, garlic, Dijon mustard, soaked bread, saffron mix, salt, paprika, and piment d’Espelette using a whisk in a bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and rapeseed oil while blending to form a creamy, emulsified sauce (similar to a mayonnaise). Adjust seasoning and chill briefly.
  11. 11. Serve
    Remove the bay leaves. Ladle bouillabaisse into warm bowls and serve with crusty bread spread with rouille. Traditionally, rouille-topped croutons are floated on the soup or dipped into it for an extra flavour boost!

Notes

Authentically, bouillabaisse is made with Mediterranean fish native to the southern coast of France. Typical varieties include Bar (European sea bass), Saint-Pierre (John Dory), Rouget grondin (red gurnard), Lotte (monkfish), and Rascasse (scorpion fish), along with red mullet. For the fish stock, a mix of rock fish like scorpion fish and other firm white fish bones is traditionally used to create a rich, aromatic base.
However, these specific fish can be challenging to find outside the Mediterranean, especially in the UK. Don’t worry, use what’s fresh and available locally. Good UK alternatives for the main fish include red snapper, sea bass, Dover sole, and monkfish. These firm white fish provide a delicate flavour and texture that bring you close to the original bouillabaisse experience. For the stock, use fish with firm, flavourful bones like Dover sole or sea bass, and include shrimp shells to enhance the taste.