Sounds Fancy, What is it?
This bouillabaisse recipe is based on a French classic, which if trying to convert from French to English means to boil and reduce. As with most American translations, it isn’t perfectly true to the traditional dish but still it is delicious, healthy, fun to eat, and will have everyone wanting for more. It is commonly pronounced boo-yah-base but as with most French words said by people in the USA, there is more than likely a bit of difference from how it was intended to sound.
Bouillabaisse is a traditional fisherman’s stew that originated in the port city of Marseille, in the Provence region of France. It is a flavorful and aromatic dish made with a variety of fish, shellfish, and other seafood, typically cooked in a broth made with fish stock, wine, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs and spices.
The exact ingredients in bouillabaisse can vary, but common components include fish such as red rascasse, sea robin, cod, haddock, and European conger, as well as shellfish like mussels and clams. The broth is often flavored with ingredients like garlic, onions, tomatoes, leeks, fennel, and various herbs such as parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Saffron is a key spice that imparts both color and a distinctive flavor to the dish.
Bouillabaisse is traditionally served with rouille, a garlic and saffron-infused mayonnaise-like sauce, and crusty bread. The dish is known for its rich and complex flavors, and it is considered a classic example of Provençal cuisine. In many cases, bouillabaisse is not only a delicious meal but also a communal and social dining experience.
Let's Make Bouillabaisse!
To make this bouillabaisse recipe, start by heating a large braising pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil. After about 15 seconds of allowing the olive oil to get very hot, add scallops and shrimp to the pan (season them a bit with a touch of salt and pepper, it helps to keep them sticking). Sear the scallops and the shrimp very well on each side then remove them from the pan.
Add onions and fennel to the pan and cook until both have softened. Add clams, clam juice, ground tomatoes, water, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Once the broth is at a simmer, add your cod, haddock, shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels, and clams. Cook until all of the mussels and clams have opened. If there are some stubborn mussels or clams, they may be dead, and it is best to discard them if taking much more time than the others from opening.
Add butter, minced garlic, and fresh parsley to the broth and swirl the pan until the butter is completely melted. Moving the butter and the broth while the butter is melting will help emulsify and give your broth a nice sheen.
Taste your dish for salt and pepper and add as much as you deem necessary.
Remove the bouillabaisse from the heat and serve hot.
You can serve this dish by itself but serving it with a nice crunchy and toasted baguette or crostini, or some homemade breadsticks is the way to go. Sautéed greens or flavorful rice are perfect accompaniments to add as side dishes.
Enjoy your bouillabaisse recipe! See if anyone has ever heard of, or if they can pronounce Bouillabaisse (always good for a laugh!).
Bouillabaisse
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Haddock Cut into large pieces
- 2 lbs Cod Cut into large pieces
- 1 lbs Shrimp
- 1 lbs Scallops
- 1 lbs Calamari Tubes and Tentacles
- 2 Dozen Clams
- 2 Dozen Mussels
- 3 cups Clam Juice
- 1.5 cups Ground Tomatoes
- 1 cup Water
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter
- 4 tsp Minced Garlic
- Pinch Red Pepper Flake
- 2 Sprigs of Thyme
- 3 tsp Pepper
- 3 tsp Salt
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Onion; Chopped
- 2 Fennel; Sliced
- 3 tbsp Fresh Parsley; Chopped
Instructions
- In a large braising pan, sear the scallops and the shrimp in olive oil then remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add onions, and fennel to the pan and sauté until softened. Add clams, clam juice, ground tomatoes, water, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake and bring to a simmer.
- Once at simmer add your cod, haddock, shrimp, scallops, calamari, and mussels and let cook until all of the clams and mussels have opened.
- Add butter, minced garlic, and parsley and simmer until the butter is completely melted.
- Remove from heat and serve hot. Season with a small pinch of salt just before serving.