Bouillabaisse is a classic Provençal fish stew that originated in the port city of Marseille, France. This sumptuous dish is traditionally made with an assortment of fresh Mediterranean fish and seafood, such as red mullet, sea bass, monkfish, mussels, clams, and prawns, simmered in a flavorful broth infused with aromatic herbs, saffron, and orange zest. The resulting stew is a symphony of flavors, with the delicate sweetness of the seafood perfectly balanced by the vibrant and zesty broth. Bouillabaisse is typically served with rouille, a spicy mayonnaise-based sauce, and croutons, adding an extra layer of richness and texture to the dish.
This article presents two variations of this iconic stew: the classic Bouillabaisse à la Marseillaise and a lighter version known as Bouillabaisse au Pistou. The classic recipe takes you through the traditional method of preparing the flavorful broth, selecting the perfect fish and seafood, and assembling the stew. The Bouillabaisse au Pistou offers a refreshing twist on the classic, featuring a vibrant green sauce made with fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil. Both recipes provide step-by-step instructions, cooking tips, and beautiful images to guide you through the process of creating this culinary masterpiece.
BOUILLABAISSE
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 1h45m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- Make the rouille: Puree the mayonnaise, roasted red peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prepare the bouillabaisse: Grate the tomato flesh on the large holes of a box grater down to the skins; reserve the skins separately. Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells and tails for the broth; clean and debeard the mussels. Refrigerate the seafood until ready to use.
- Make the broth: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp shells and tails and cook, stirring, until bright red, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the clam juice, 4 cups water, the reserved tomato skins, the orange zest and 1/4 cup of the sliced fennel. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 4 cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract the liquid; reserve the broth.
- Wipe out the pot and heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining fennel, the shallot, garlic and a pinch of salt; partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved grated tomato flesh and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the saffron, then add the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about two-thirds, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved broth and return to a simmer.
- Add the mussels to the pot; cover and cook 4 minutes. Add any thick pieces of fish and cook, covered, 2 minutes. Add the remaining fish and the shrimp and cook, covered, until the mussels open and the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 more minutes. (Discard any mussels that do not open.) Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the baguette with the rouille and serve with the bouillabaisse. Sprinkle with parsley.
BOUILLABAISSE
Steps:
- Cut the cleaned fish fillets into medium sized pieces. In a large non-reactive bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Add the pieces of fish and whole shrimp so that all the seafood is coated with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- For the Stock/Fumet: In a large stockpot over low-medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Saute the leek, onion, garlic, and fennel for 5 minutes until tender. Deglaze with Pernod, cooking for 5 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Place the bouquet garni in the stockpot tied to the handle for easy removal. Add the cold water, wine, canned tomatoes and fish parts. Season with saffron and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring to mingle flavors. Allow the stock to slowly simmer. Skim and discard the fish foam that rises to the surface. Do not boil! If the stock boils, these impurities will be incorporated into the liquid. Simmer for 15 minutes, turn off heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Pass the fumet through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.
- For the Broth: Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, parsley and orange zest. Add the clams, mussels, Pernod and wine. Steam open, about 2 minutes. Stir in fennel, leek, tomatoes, bay leaf and fumet. Season with saffron, salt and pepper, Add the fish pieces to the broth. Simmer for 3 minutes until the fish is opaque. Add tomato paste and adjust seasonings.
- For the Rouille: Broil the tomato and bell pepper, turning to blacken all sides. Place the roasted pepper in a paper bag, close it, and let it "sweat" for 5 minutes so it is easier to peel the skin. Remove from bag, peel the skin and discard the seeds and stem. Peel and cut the tomato, squeeze out the seeds. In a food processor, puree the potato, roasted pepper, tomato, mayonnaise, fumet, garlic, saffron and cayenne. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- For the Croutons: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush the baguette slices with olive oil and bake on a cookie sheet until crisp. Set aside.
- Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls. Spoon the rouille over the croutons and place in bowl. Garnish with parsley and basil.
BOUILLABAISSE
This simply prepared fish stew is a classic French recipe from Marseilles. Serve with a slice of hot toast topped with a spoonful of rouille.
Provided by Mary Young
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Seafood
Time 40m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and add the onions, leeks, chopped tomatoes, and garlic. Cook and stir over a low heat for a few minutes until all vegetables are soft.
- Stir in the fennel, thyme, bay leaf, and orange zest. Add shellfish and boiling water; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Turn up the heat to high, and boil for about 3 minutes to allow the oil and water to combine.
- Add fish, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked. The fish should be opaque and tender, but still firm. Fish should not be falling apart.
- Taste the bouillabaisse and adjust the seasoning. Stir in saffron, and then pour soup into a warmed tureen or soup dishes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 365.3 calories, Carbohydrate 6 g, Cholesterol 124.5 mg, Fat 18 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 42.9 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 202.9 mg, Sugar 2.3 g
BOUILLABAISSE, SIMPLIFIED
Steps:
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and fennel and saut until just brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
- 2. Add the saffron (if using), orange zest, tomatoes, and stock or clam juice.
- 3. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
- 4. Reduce heat to medium and add the fish (but not shellfish). Cook for about 2 minutes.
- 5. Add any clams, mussels, and shrimp. Simmer until the shells just begin to open, about 4 minutes more.
- 6. Add any crabmeat.
- 7. Cook until all shells have opened, the shrimp is pink and curled, and the fish flakes easily, about 2 minutes.
- 8. Serve from the pot, sprinkled with the parsley and topped with crusty bread and a dollop of rouille.
TRADITIONAL BOUILLABAISSE
What goes into a traditional bouillabaisse? That depends on whom you ask. But a pot typically includes at least four kinds of fish -- some firm and some soft -- as well as fennel, garlic, olive oil, onion, parsley, saffron, and tomatoes.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes Shrimp Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Marinate fish: Stir together saffron and pastis; set aside. Stir together sliced fennel, 1/4 cup fronds, and 2 tablespoons garlic. Divide fennel mixture between two 9-by-13-inch nonreactive baking dishes. Cut fish into uniform portions, each 4 to 5 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Generously season with salt. Put thick pieces in one baking dish and thin ones in the other. (They will be poached in separate batches later.) Pour 2 tablespoons pastis mixture and 1/4 cup oil into each dish; turn fish to coat. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning once.
- Meanwhile, prepare stock: Cover fish heads and bones with cold water; let soak. Heat remaining 1/4 cups oil in a tall, 10-quart stockpot (that includes a steamer basket for later use) over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, leeks, celery, chopped fennel, 1 tablespoon salt, and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Add tomato paste; stir well. Stir in 2 cups wine, remaining pastis mixture, orange zest, and juice. Tie together bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and rosemary sprigs with kitchen string; add to pot. Stir broth. Bring to a boil.
- Drain and rinse fish heads and bones; add to pot. Pour in 10 cups cold water (liquid should come to within 3 inches of rim of pot). Bring to a boil; let boil for 10 minutes. Skim foam from surface.
- Reduce heat to medium-high. Stir in tomatoes. Cook until stock is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes. Raise heat to high; boil until olive oil binds with liquids, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring marinated fish to room temperature.
- Steam shellfish: Put mussels and shrimp in a large, shallow pot (steaming the shrimp in their shells enhances their flavor). Add 1/2 cup wine and 1/4 cup fennel fronds; cover. Cook over high heat until shrimp are pink and cooked through and mussels are open (check pot frequently after 4 minutes). Transfer cooked shellfish with a slotted spoon to a large bowl (after 7 minutes, discard any mussels that remain closed); reserve pot. Cover bowl with foil.
- Pass stock through a food mill: Using tongs or a slotted spoon, lift out heads and large bones; discard. Discard herbs. In batches, pass stock through a food mill set over the pot of shellfish juices, extracting as much liquid as possible. (If you don't have a food mill, pass stock through a fine sieve, firmly pressing on solids with the back of a ladle.) Discard solids.
- Pass broth through a chinois or a fine sieve into stockpot. Press on solids; discard. Reserve 1/2 cup broth for rouille.
- Cook potatoes: Bring broth to a boil. Place potatoes in steamer basket; submerge in broth. Reduce heat to medium; cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter; cover with foil.
- Cook fish: Return broth to a boil. Place thick fish pieces in basket; submerge in broth. Reduce heat to low. Poach until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to platter; cover with foil. Return broth to a boil; place thin fish pieces in basket; submerge in broth. Reduce heat to low; poach until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to platter; pour any juices from platter and shellfish bowl into broth. Cover fish and shellfish with foil.
- Pass broth through a chinois or fine sieve into a serving bowl. Press on solids with a ladle; discard solids.
- Serve: Ladle about 3/4 cup broth into each bowl. Serve with rouille-topped croutons. Follow with fish and potatoes, served with any remaining broth.
Tips:
- Use the freshest seafood you can find for the best flavor.
- Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of fish and shellfish.
- Be careful not to overcook the seafood, or it will become tough and chewy.
- Serve the bouillabaisse immediately after it is cooked, while it is still hot and flavorful.
- Pair the bouillabaisse with a crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.
Conclusion:
Bouillabaisse is a classic French seafood stew that is sure to impress your guests. With its flavorful broth, tender seafood, and vibrant vegetables, this dish is a true feast for the senses. Whether you are a seasoned chef or a novice cook, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. With a little effort, you can create a delicious and memorable meal that will transport you to the shores of Provence.
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