Bouillabaisse (Provencal Fish Stew)

A fragrant Mediterranean fish stew built on an aromatic saffron-and-tomato broth, served with garlicky rouille and toasted bread.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped leeks
• 4 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1 lb ripe tomatoes, chopped (or canned)
• 2.5 quarts water or Fish Stock
• Bouquet garni: bay leaf, thyme, parsley, 1 strip orange peel, 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• Large pinch saffron threads

Salt and pepper

• 6 lb assorted lean and firm fish and shellfish (snapper, cod, halibut, monkfish, mussels, shrimp)
• 12 slices French bread, toasted
• For rouille: 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 tsp chili, 1 boiled potato or breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. In a large pot, warm the olive oil and cook the onions and leeks slowly until soft but not browned.
2. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes and cook a few minutes.
3. Add the water or stock, bouquet garni, saffron, salt, and pepper. Boil rapidly 30 to 40 minutes to develop the broth, then taste and correct seasoning.
4. Add the firm-fleshed fish first and boil hard 5 minutes.
5. Add the tender fish and shellfish and boil 5 minutes more, just until everything is cooked through.
6. Make the rouille by pounding the garlic, chili, and potato to a paste, then beating in the olive oil and a ladle of hot broth.
7. Lift the fish onto a platter, moisten with a little broth, and serve the broth in bowls over toasted bread, passing the rouille at the table.

Notes

Adapted from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, her version of the great Marseille fish stew.