Classic Bouillabaisse recipe

🦐 Classic Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

For the broth:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 leeks (white part only), thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, chopped (or 1 cup canned chopped tomatoes)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp saffron threads

1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)

1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

4 cups fish stock (or clam juice + water)

1 cup dry white wine

Salt & pepper, to taste

Seafood (mix and match depending on availability):

1 lb firm white fish (cod, halibut, monkfish, snapper), cut into chunks

1/2 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1/2 lb clams, scrubbed

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb scallops (optional)

For serving (Rouille – optional but traditional):

1 slice white bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pinch saffron

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt & pepper, to taste

Crusty bread for dipping

Instructions

1. Make the base broth

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add onion, leeks, fennel, and garlic; sauté 5–7 minutes until softened.

Stir in tomato, bay leaf, orange zest, saffron, thyme, and fennel seeds.

Pour in wine and simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.

Add fish stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20–25 minutes.

2. Strain for a smooth broth (optional, but traditional)

Remove bay leaf.

Blend the broth using an immersion blender, then strain through a fine sieve back into the pot.

3. Cook the seafood

Bring the strained broth to a gentle simmer.

Add the firm fish first (cook 4–5 minutes).

Add mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallops; cook until shellfish open and shrimp turn pink (about 5 minutes more). Discard any shellfish that do not open.

4. Make the rouille (optional)

Mash bread, garlic, and saffron together into a paste.

Slowly whisk in olive oil until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve

Ladle bouillabaisse into warm bowls.

Serve with toasted crusty bread and a dollop of rouille on top or on the side.

💡 Tips:

Fresh fish stock makes all the difference—use fish heads, bones, and shrimp shells for the richest flavor

Bouillabaisse is best served immediately to preserve seafood textur

The orange zest and saffron are key to the authentic Provençal flavor.