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Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a French seafood stew simmered with saffron, tomatoes, white wine, cod, halibut, shrimp, and mussels. Serve the fragrant broth with crisp baguette slices and a quick saffron rouille.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 52 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 22 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Calories: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Build the broth
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion medium, chopped
  • 1 leek medium, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed
  • 1 fennel bulb small, trimmed and chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced; 4 cloves for the broth and 1 for the rouille
  • 2 tomatoes medium, chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 orange zest 2-inch strip, with no white pith
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 0.5 tsp saffron threads divided; 1/4 teaspoon for the broth, 1/4 teaspoon for the rouille
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 6 cups fish stock
Make the rouille
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.125 tsp cayenne pepper
Toast the baguette
  • 1 baguette 12-ounce, sliced 1/2 inch thick
Cook the seafood
  • 1 lb skinless cod cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 lb skinless halibut cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 lb medium shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 lb mussels scrubbed and debearded

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart Dutch oven
  • 1 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet

Method
 

Build the broth
  1. Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, fennel, and 4 minced garlic cloves; cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, orange zest, bay leaves, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon saffron, salt, and black pepper; cook for 3 minutes.
  3. Pour in the wine and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
  4. Add the fish stock and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, then remove and discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and orange zest.
Make the rouille
  1. Crush the remaining 1/4 teaspoon saffron in a small bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon hot broth, and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the mayonnaise, remaining minced garlic, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper.
Toast the baguette
  1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on an 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden.
Cook the seafood and serve
  1. Bring the broth back to a gentle simmer if needed, then add the cod and halibut; simmer uncovered for 3 minutes.
  2. Add the shrimp and mussels, cover, and simmer for 4–6 minutes, until the fish and shrimp reach 145°F and the mussels open; discard any mussels that remain closed.
  3. Ladle the seafood and broth into bowls and serve with the toasted baguette and rouille.

Notes

For tender seafood, keep the broth at a gentle simmer rather than a boil. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days; freezing is not recommended because the seafood can become tough. For a gluten-free option, serve with gluten-free baguette.