National Bouillabaisse Day

Bouillabaisse? What the heck is that you might ask. It’s a seafood stew (or soup) that originated in France. There are many versions and no one quite agrees which is the most authentic. The stuff has been around in some form or another since 600 BC!

When you look at the list of ingredients, you might think this is a complicated dish, but if you prep everything before you start, it’s super easy and well worth the work! Note, this comes from the lazy gastronome!

Give it a try – you’ll be hooked! And note: I think the rouille is the best part!

Here’s How to Do it:

Prep

Use a mortar and pestle to crush the fennel seed.

Saffron are tiny red threads that pack a powerful flavor punch

Prepping everything before you start makes it a lot easier –

Sauté the onion, garlic and fennel bulb in olive oil.

Place all the ingredients except the fish in a stock pot

and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 1 to 2 hours.

While the stock is simmering, make the rouille by processing all its ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

As the stock cooks, the tomato skins will come loose from the tomato. Gently lift them out and discard. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

While the final simmer is going on, slice the baguette into rounds and sprinkle with olive oil.

Toast each piece on both sides. Take the rouille out of the refrigerator.

Add the fish fillets and simmer about 5 minutes. Last, add the shrimp and clams and cook until the shrimp is pink and the clams have opened (discard any that have not).

Remove the thyme, parsley and bay leaves.

To serve,

place a baguette round in the bottom of each bowl.

Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons rouille on each piece.

Ladle soup over the round and serve garnished with chopped fennel fronds.

Since the rouille is so darned good, you can make extra and serve some of the bread with the rouille on the side as well.

5 from 1 vote

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Bouillabaisse

A not as complicated as it looks fish stew that you'll want again and again!

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Keyword: clams, fish, saffron, shrimp, stew

Servings: 4 people

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Stew

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped fennel bulb
• 2 whole cloves crushed garlic
• 1 Tablespoon whole fennel seed, crushed
• 3 to 4 threads of saffron
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 4 whole sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 whole sprigs flat leaf parsley
• 2 fresh plum tomatoes, cut into half
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup semi - dry white wine (the alcohol cooks out)
• 2 whole dry bay leaves
• 1/2 pound small yellow potatoes, cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks with skin
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 dozen small clams, like little neck
• 2 medium fish fillets, cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks (I used salmon and cod)
• 8 extra large fresh shrimp, peeled and cleaned
• 1 loaf french baguette
• 4 to 5 Tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, for garnish
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Rouille

• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 Tablespoon water
• 1 cup bread crumbs (I sued half the baguette)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Stew

1. Sauté the onion, garlic and fennel bulb in olive oil.

2. Place all the ingredients except the fish in a stock pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 1 to 2 hours.

3. While the stock is simmering, make the rouille.

4. As the stock cooks, the tomato skins will come loose from the tomato. Gently lift them out and discard. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

5. While the final simmer is going on, slice the baguette into rounds and sprinkle with olive oil. Toast each piece on both sides. Take the rouille out of the refrigerator.

6. Add the fish fillets and simmer about 5 minutes. Last, add the shrimp and clams and cook until the shrimp is pink and the clams have opened (discard any that have not).

7. Remove the thyme, parsley and bay leaves.

8. To serve, place a baguette round in the bottom of each bowl. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons rouille on each piece.

9. Ladle soup over the round and serve garnished with chopped fennel fronds.

10. Since the rouille is so darned good, you can make extra and serve some of the bread with the rouille on the side as well.

Rouille

1. Process all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

© Copyright 2018 The Lazy Gastronome

Note: Saffron can be expensive. If you can find a Middle Eastern market you can get a better price than the grocery store or purchase it from the internet. Either way, it’s an essential ingredient to get the flavor right.

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

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