Bouillabaisse from Marseille | LA BOUILLABAISSE MARSEILLAISE
Course: MainServings
4
peopleCooking time
55
minutesSavor the taste of Marseille with this authentic Bouillabaisse recipe, a traditional Provencal fish stew. Originating from the port city, this delightful dish combines rock fish with rich flavors of saffron, tomatoes, and herbs. Served with crusty croutons and a homemade aioli, it’s a culinary voyage to the south of France. Perfect for seafood lovers.
Ingredients
- Bouillabaisse
1kg rock fish: 5 varieties (baudroie, vive, congre, galinette/grondin, poisson rat, rascasse, chapon, Saint Pierre)
olive oil
1 medium onion
1/2 fennel bulb
1/2 leek (white part only)
2 tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 or 4 potatoes
plenty of pepper
generous pinch of saffron
herbs: thyme, 1 bay leaf, (dry fennel stalks)
splash of white wine (optional)
splash of pastis (optional)
bread for croutons
aioli
- Aioli
1 egg yolk
1 clove of garlic
lemon juice
salt
150ml olive oil
Directions
- Bouillabaisse
- Slice the onion, fennel, and leek into small pieces and crush the garlic.
- Cook the vegetables in olive oil with herbs and a generous amount of black pepper until soft.
- Chop off the heads and tails from the fish, keep the bodies aside, and dice the tomatoes.
- Add diced tomato and tomato paste to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add saffron, white wine, and pastis. Stir for a minute.
- Add fish heads and tails and enough water to cover. Boil for 30-45 minutes.
- Toast bread slices in olive oil to make croutons.
- Strain the bouillabaise and press down on the solids.
- Chop fish bodies and potatoes into large pieces. Cook in the soup for 10 minutes.
- Serve the soup with the fish and potatoes, topped with croutons and aioli.
- Aioli
- Finely mince the garlic and mix with egg yolk, lemon juice, and salt.
- Whisk in olive oil slowly, allowing the aioli to emulsify. Adjust seasoning.
