Go Back
5 from 1 vote
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.