Bouillabaisse
Ingredients
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- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion – thinly sliced
- 2 leeks – white and light green parts thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb – thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic – minced
- 28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes – crushed by hand
- 1 strip orange peel – 3-inch strip
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads – crumbled
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 6 parsley stems
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 3/4 tsp kosher salt – divided
- 2 pounds fish bones and heads – rinsed
- 8 cups water
- 1 pound small waxy potatoes – peeled and sliced 0.5-inch thick (~11.5 small fingerling potatos)
- 3 pounds mixed firm white fish, bone-in pieces – cut into 3-inch chunks
- 1 pound mussels – scrubbed and debearded (~63 medium mussels)
- 1 small baguette – sliced and toasted (for serving)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil – for serving – rouille
- 3 cloves garlic – mashed (for serving – rouille)
- 1/8 tsp saffron threads – crumbled (for serving – rouille)
- 1 egg yolk – for serving – rouille
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper – for serving – rouille
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs – fine, dry (for serving – rouille)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice – for serving – rouille
Instructions
1. Rinse the fish bones and heads well under cold water. Scrub and debeard the mussels, discarding any with cracked shells. Slice the onion, leeks, and fennel; crush the tomatoes by hand; peel a 3-inch strip of orange peel.
2. Heat 0.25 cup olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, and fennel and cook, stirring, until translucent and sweet, 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the fish bones and heads and stir 2–3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices, bay leaves, thyme, parsley stems, orange peel, black peppercorns, saffron threads (0.5 tsp), and 2 tsp kosher salt. Pour in 8 cups water and bring to a rolling boil, uncovered.
4. Boil hard for 10 minutes, then reduce to a lively simmer and cook 25 minutes longer, skimming foam. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing on the solids to extract flavor; discard solids.
5. Return the strained broth to a boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook at a brisk simmer until just tender, 10–15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the rouille: In a mortar, mini-processor, or blender, pound or blend the mashed garlic (for rouille), saffron (for rouille), cayenne, 0.25 tsp kosher salt, and lemon juice to a paste. Whisk in the egg yolk, then slowly stream in 0.5 cup olive oil (for rouille) until thick and glossy. Stir in the breadcrumbs to form a spreadable sauce, thinning with 1–2 tbsp hot broth from the pot as needed. Set aside.
7. Toast the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a 375°F oven until crisp and lightly colored, 8–10 minutes; keep warm for serving.
8. Season the fish pieces with 0.5 tsp kosher salt. Bring the broth with potatoes back to a lively boil and nestle in the fish. Boil briskly until the fish turns opaque and flakes at the edges, 5–7 minutes. Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the shells open, 2–3 minutes; discard any that do not open.
9. Serve immediately. For two-course service, ladle the broth over toasted baguette spread with rouille, then present the fish and potatoes separately with more broth. Alternatively, arrange fish, potatoes, and mussels in warm bowls and ladle broth over, passing baguette and rouille at the table.
Bouillabaisse is a fragrant Provençal fish stew famed for its saffron-gold broth, anise-and-citrus perfume, and the briny sweetness of multiple kinds of firm fish. The texture is both hearty and elegant: a rich, emulsified broth carries tender pieces of fish, sometimes with potatoes and shellfish, and is traditionally paired with garlicky rouille and crisp toasts. It is a celebratory dish meant to be served very hot, with the broth enjoyed as much as the fish itself.
Born in and around the port city of Marseille, bouillabaisse evolved from fishermen’s catch-of-the-day stews made with bony rockfish that were difficult to sell. Over time, its identity-defining elements became clear: a forceful boil to emulsify olive oil into the broth, a bouquet of Provençal aromatics like fennel, orange peel, and thyme, and the unmistakable addition of saffron. Service customarily includes rouille and croutons, and some traditions present the broth and fish in two courses, reflecting the dish’s place as both rustic fare and regional icon.