Bouillabaisse

When you want to impress your dinner guests, make bouillabaisse. This classic French stew originated in Marseille, a fisherman’s dish highlighting the best of the day’s catch.

Its rich tomato broth is scented with saffron, and the stew is served with rouille, a flavorful aioli made with egg yolks, roasted red peppers, saffron, garlic, lemon, and extra virgin olive oil. It’s traditionally served on crostini alongside the stew and mimics some of the same fragrant flavors found in the broth. Can you serve bouillabaisse without making a rouille? Yes, but it’s so much better with it.

As a former line cook at a traditional French brasserie, I developed this bouillabaisse recipe to embody the hallmarks of this Provençal stew, using seafood available at my local grocery store.

I use a combination of halibut, littleneck clams, shrimp, and scallops. Feel free to customize this recipe to your personal tastes and what is available locally to you. After all, that’s what the French would do!   

What’s in Bouillabaisse?

The flavor and texture of your bouillabaisse recipe is dependent on using high-quality, fresh seafood. Don’t be afraid to ask the fishmonger at your grocery store or fish market for advice on selecting the best fish possible for your region and season. Once you do buy it, you should prepare the stew within a day. Here’s everything you need to make this bouillabaisse recipe.

For the Rouille and Crostini 

• Egg yolks: Yolks (not whole eggs) help form the base for the rouille.
• Roasted red pepper: Use a high-quality jar of roasted red peppers or make your own for the best flavor and texture for the rouille. 
• White bread: Soft, white bread blended into the rouille gives the sauce some body.  
• Garlic flavors both the rouille and the bouillabaisse broth. 
• Lemon zest brings brightness to the rich rouille.
• Saffron threads: A little bit of saffron goes a long way toward enhancing the color and flavor of both the rouille and stew.  
• Extra virgin olive oil: You’ll use olive oil to make the rouille, as well as a little for sautéing the vegetables for the stew, so make sure it’s of the best quality.
• Baguette: Toast up slices of a baguette for dunking in the broth.

For the Bouillabaisse

• Kosher salt: Even though fish is naturally a bit salty, you’ll want to add some kosher salt to the stew to help round out the flavors. 
• Leeks: Leeks have a mild green onion flavor and help distinguish bouillabaisse from other regional fish stews. 
• Fennel: A finely diced fennel bulb adds an earthy, anise-like flavor to this broth that makes it stand out. Don’t throw away the feathery fennel fronds; they make a beautiful and fragrant garnish. 
• Freshly ground black pepper: adds a subtle heat.
• Tomato paste adds umami richness.
• Canned chopped tomatoes: Choose San Marzano tomatoes, which I love for their sweetness.
• Seafood stock: Make your own stock or opt for a high-quality store-bought stock.
• Fresh thyme: Use butcher’s twine to tie a small bundle of thyme together, drop it in the broth, and remove just before serving.
• Bay leaf as a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Orange zest: Use a sharp or serrated vegetable peeler to cut a wide strip of orange zest, about three inches long, leaving behind as much of the white pith as possible. It adds bright notes of citrus to the broth. Remember to pluck it out before serving!

The Seafood

The concept of a bouillabaisse recipe is that French fishermen would make a stew based on what they caught that day, which means you have the liberty to pick and choose what types of fish you want (or don’t want) to include. Just be sure to feature between 3 and 3 1/2 pounds of fish, including a hearty white fish, and a few varieties of shellfish.

• Halibut: Any meaty white fish like halibut, cod, sea bass, or mahi mahi will work in this stew. Look for whatever is fresh and economical. Cod, red snapper, monkfish, sea bass, haddock, or grouper are also good options.
• Shrimp: I find that the best shrimp for this stew are 36/40 count, which are typically considered large or medium-large in size. Learn more here about buying and prepping shrimp. 
• Sea scallops: Look for U20 scallops, which refers to the approximate number of scallops per pound. You can use smaller scallops, if you prefer, but they’ll need less time to cook. 
• Littleneck clams: Since one typically purchases clams by the piece, I like to account for about three clams per guest that I’m serving. Feel free to use a different type of clam, cockles, or mussels instead. 

How to Make Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a labor of love to prepare, but it’s worth it for its coastal flavors. Here’s how to make it:

For Rouille and Crostini 

• Make the rouille. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add 2 egg yolks, 1 whole seeded and drained roasted red bell pepper, 1 slice white sandwich bread (crusts removed and cut into pieces), 1 large garlic clove, the zest of 1 lemon, a pinch of saffron threads, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Pulse on high until smooth, about 45 seconds.
• Stream in the olive oil. With the food processor running on low speed, very slowly stream in 1 cup extra virgin olive oil until the mixture is thick and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve. 
• Toast the crostini: Preheat the oven to 400℉. Slice a baguette in 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush each side with olive oil. Transfer to the oven to bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make the Bouillabaisse:

• Prep the seafood. Rinse and scrub 16 littleneck clams, discarding any that are opened. Dice 1 1/2pounds meaty white fish (such as cod, halibut, or sea bass) into 2-inch pieces. Peel and devein 1/2 pound 36/40 count shrimp.
• Sauté the vegetables and aromatics: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of an 8-quart pot set over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup finely diced leeks (1 large leek), 1 cup finely diced fennel (about 1 small fennel bulb), 3 finely minced garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. 
• Build the broth: Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 (24-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, 4 cups seafood stock. Tie a small bundle of fresh thyme sprigs with kitchen twine and add it, along with 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, 1 bay leaf, 1 (3-inch) strip orange zest, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the mixture has reduced by about half, about 15 minutes.
• Cook the seafood: Add the clams and halibut and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and 1/2 pound scallops, cover, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more or until the shrimp are pink and clams have opened.
• Garnish and serve: Remove the bay leaf and orange zest. Divide the bouillabaisse between four bowls. Garnish with the fennel fronds and serve with the crostini topped with rouille. 

Bouillabaisse vs. Cioppino?

So how does bouillabaisse compare to other fish stews like Cioppino?

• Cioppino is an Italian-American-style fish stew invented in San Francisco. It features classic Italian herbs like basil and oregano.
• Bouillabaisse is served with Rouille, a red pepper aioli, and relies on Provençal flavors and ingredients like leeks, fennel, saffron, and citrus for a light and bright stew.

What to Serve with Bouillabaisse

A bouillabaisse recipe isn’t complete without crostini smothered in a rouille. If you want to serve it with a side dish as well, try this Endive Salad with Rosemary Croutons and Citrus or a Lemony Fennel Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Toasted Walnuts, which complements the flavors of the fennel in the stew. 

If you have leftover rouille once the soup is gone? Use it as a dip for saffron-poached shrimp or a spread on a roasted vegetable sandwich.