Bouillabaisse

France

About Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a famous fish stew from Marseille in southern France. It is made with several kinds of local Mediterranean fish and shellfish cooked in a broth with tomatoes, onions, fennel, garlic, saffron and orange zest.

It began as a fishermen's meal made from fish that was too bony or small to sell. The name comes from the Provençal words for "to boil" and "to lower the heat", describing how it is cooked.

In Marseille, the broth is served first with toasted bread spread with rouille, a garlicky saffron mayonnaise, followed by the fish and potatoes. Traditional restaurants in the city follow a charter to protect the authentic recipe.

Ingredients

• rockfish
• sea robin
• conger eel
• potatoes
• onions
• fennel
• saffron
• orange zest
• tomatoes
• rouille