Classic Bouillabaisse
This is a dish of the waterfront, designed to use the catch that didn't make it to market. It relies on the marriage of potent sea flavors and the sharp, bright bite of a garlic-heavy rouille.
Commit to the sequence.
Do not rush the base; it provides the body for the entire pot. Have all your seafood cleaned, scaled, and portioned before you turn on the flame.
- Large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
- Immersion blender
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Chef's knife
What goes in.
- 1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil
- 2leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced
- 1fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 4 clovesgarlic, smashed
- 1 cupdry white wine
- 28 ozcanned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tspsaffron threads, crushed
- 1 striporange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
- 3 lbmixed firm white fish (such as monkfish, red snapper, and sea bass), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 lbmussels, cleaned and debearded
- 1 lblarge shrimp, peeled and deveined
Layering the cook time
Add fish to the broth based on texture; monkfish takes longer to firm up than delicate snapper, and shellfish should only hit the pot in the final few minutes so they remain tender rather than rubbery.
The method.
Sauté the aromatics
Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and fennel, sweating them until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Build the base
Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes, saffron, and orange zest. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
Poach the fish
Add the firmest fish chunks first. Let them simmer gently for 5 minutes, then add the softer fish. Simmer for another 3 minutes.
Finish with shellfish
Gently nestle the shrimp and mussels into the liquid. Cover and steam for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the mussel shells pop open and the shrimp are opaque.
Other turns to take.
Traditional Rouille
Whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 crushed garlic cloves, a pinch of cayenne, and a pinch of saffron to serve alongside toasted baguette slices for dipping.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Discard any mussels that remain closed after the cooking time.
Do not stir the pot vigorously once the fish is added, or the chunks will break apart and cloud the broth.
Use a high-quality fish stock if you want a deeper flavor than water can provide.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use any kind of fish?
Stick to firm-fleshed, white ocean fish. Avoid oily fish like salmon or mackerel, as they will overpower the delicate saffron and fennel base.
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