Bouillabaisse Provençal Fish Stew (Printer-Friendly)

Traditional Provençal seafood and fish stew with saffron, herbs, shellfish, and a creamy garlicky rouille accompaniment.

# What You Need:

→ Fish & Seafood

01 - 14.1 oz firm white fish fillets (e.g., monkfish, sea bass), chunked
02 - 10.6 oz oily fish fillets (e.g., red mullet), chunked
03 - 10.6 oz mussels, cleaned and debearded
04 - 7 oz small shrimp, peeled and deveined
05 - 6 large sea scallops (optional)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1 large onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1 large leek (white part only), thinly sliced
09 - 2 fennel bulbs, sliced
10 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
11 - 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
12 - 1 large carrot, sliced
13 - Zest of 1 orange
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 2 sprigs thyme
16 - 1 sprig fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
17 - 1/2 tsp saffron threads
18 - 1 tsp fennel seeds
19 - 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
20 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Liquids

21 - 6.8 fl oz dry white wine
22 - 50.7 fl oz fish stock or water

→ For the Rouille

23 - 1 egg yolk
24 - 1 garlic clove, minced
25 - 1 small red chili, seeded and chopped
26 - 1/2 tsp saffron threads soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
27 - 3.4 fl oz olive oil
28 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
29 - Salt, to taste

→ To Serve

30 - 1 small baguette, sliced and toasted
31 - Extra olive oil, for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, leek, fennel, carrot, and garlic. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until softened without browning.
02 - Incorporate tomatoes, orange zest, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, saffron threads, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and season generously with salt and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes to meld flavors.
03 - Pour in white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add fish stock or water, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes to develop the broth.
04 - Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve, pressing solids to extract flavor. Discard solids and return strained broth to the clean pot.
05 - Bring broth to a simmer. Add firm fish pieces first; cook 5 minutes. Add oily fish, mussels, shrimp, and optional scallops. Simmer 5 to 6 minutes until seafood is cooked and mussels open. Discard any unopened mussels. Adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Whisk egg yolk, garlic, chili, soaked saffron with water, and mustard in a bowl until smooth. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to form a thick mayonnaise-like sauce. Season with salt.
07 - Ladle seafood stew into warm bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with toasted baguette brushed with olive oil and a generous spoonful of rouille on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes impossibly luxurious but comes together in under two hours, making you feel like a genius without the stress.
  • The saffron-golden broth is so comforting and elegant that it works for both quiet weeknight dinners and impressing guests who think you're a professional chef.
  • Each spoonful delivers layers of flavor—briny, aromatic, warm—that feel like a little escape to the Mediterranean.
02 -
  • Strain that broth through a fine sieve without crushing the solids, or you'll end up with a cloudy, gritty result instead of the silky clarity that makes bouillabaisse special.
  • Don't overcook the seafood or it becomes rubber; add each type in order of cooking time and watch carefully—the residual heat in the broth keeps cooking even after you remove it from the heat.
  • Saffron is expensive and precious; soak it in warm water first so it releases its color and flavor evenly throughout the dish.
03 -
  • Buy your seafood from a fishmonger you trust and ask what's best that day; flexibility in what you use is tradition, not compromise.
  • Toast your baguette slices lightly and brush them with good olive oil just before serving so they're crispy on the outside but still yielding inside.
  • If you're making this for guests, prepare the broth and rouille ahead, then add seafood just before serving—it shows and tastes like the difference between good and great.
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