Recipe: Bouillabaisse

Name: Bouillabaisse
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) assorted fish, cleaned, gutted and scaled: scorpionfish, gurnard, weever, conger, monkfish, small crabs if you can find them; In the south you'll find small red mullet, wrasse and all sorts of rockfish, but I've only listed items you can find at your local market, even if you don't live in the south of France; 1 large onion, thinly sliced; 21 oz (600 g) Samba-style potatoes; 5 garlic cloves, deseeded, crushed and chopped; 5 very ripe tomatoes; 1 branch of fennel, thinly sliced; 1 pinch of saffron powder; 1 nice bouquet garni; Salt and cayenne pepper; 1.7 fl oz (5 cl) olive oil

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (12 reviews)

Recipe Bouillabaisse - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 30 min

Cook 30 min

Total 1h

Servings 6 serv.

Bouillabaisse is 2.5 kg of rockfish (scorpionfish, gurnard, weever, conger, monkfish) cooked for 18 minutes over high heat in a saffron-infused broth with potatoes and fennel. The result: two courses, a smooth blended soup and the fish on the side. It's from the Mediterranean, but all the ingredients can be found at any French market.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

5.5 lb (2.5 kg) assorted fish, cleaned, gutted and scaled: scorpionfish, gurnard, weever, conger, monkfish, small crabs if you can find them
In the south you'll find small red mullet, wrasse and all sorts of rockfish, but I've only listed items you can find at your local market, even if you don't live in the south of France
1 large onion, thinly sliced
21 oz (600 g) Samba-style potatoes
5 garlic cloves, deseeded, crushed and chopped
5 very ripe tomatoes
1 branch of fennel, thinly sliced
1 pinch of saffron powder
1 nice bouquet garni
Salt and cayenne pepper
1.7 fl oz (5 cl) olive oil

Step-by-step directions

1 In a large pot, add the olive oil and sweat your sliced onion until it begins to brown lightly, then add the tomatoes cut into large chunks, the bouquet garni, the sliced fennel, the garlic and the potatoes cut into fairly thick slices.

2 Then place the fish on top, add 2.6 qt (2.5 liters) of hot water. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and saffron powder.

3 Cook over high heat and covered for 18 minutes.

4 Prepare 6 large soup bowls, place a thick slice of country bread at the bottom of each. Remove the bouquet garni, drain the fish and arrange them on a nice platter, surround them with half of the potatoes.

5 Blend your sauce with the remaining potatoes, adjust the seasoning and pour this soup into each bowl (you can strain it but I find it better this way). Serve your bouillabaisse in bowls, with the fish and potatoes in the center of the table and the rest of the sauce in a tureen. Accompany with rouille and a chilled Bandol rosé... you're in paradise!

Be careful when blending to remove any large bones from the broth so you don't damage the blades.

A chef's advice

You make this when you have time and really want to eat fish, not just broth. It's a summer and autumn dish, when rockfish arrives at southern markets. Very ripe tomatoes are essential, otherwise the broth lacks body. The saffron should just be a hint, enough for color and aromatic signature, nothing more. With wine, forget light whites. Go for a well-made dry Bandol rosé with some backbone, or a white from Cassis. For serving, it's grilled country bread, rouille (garlic and saffron mayonnaise), and that's it. No need to overthink it. The fish and potatoes stay in the center of the table, people serve themselves, it sits there, it's convivial. Count on two hours from market to table, nice and easy, no stress.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace scorpionfish with another fish?

Yes, scorpionfish is just a rock fish rich in gelatin. Use gurnard, conger, monkfish, even turbot. What matters is firm-fleshed fish, not soft white fish that falls apart. A mix of at least three varieties tastes better than a single species.

Why remove large bones before blending?

Because they break the blender blades and can damage the motor. Remove fish from broth, drain well, pick out large bones by hand before blending the rest with potatoes. Two minutes later you have smooth soup, no debris.

Can bouillabaisse be frozen?

Yes, the broth freezes well for up to three months. Fish and potatoes lose texture. Tip: freeze the blended soup alone, cook fresh fish on the day. Or freeze everything, but eat within two weeks so it stays just warm, not dry.