Bouillabaisse Recipe
This classic Bouillabaisse recipe is packed with flavor! The combination of herb, spice, orange peel, and fennel is divine. The saffron, gives the soup its deep golden color. You have to give it a try, it's delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek white part only, chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- peel of 1 orange orange part only (use vegetable peeler)
- 3 to matoes chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped fennel fronds
- fresh herbs in any combination: thyme, parsley, oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads crushed
- 3-4 pounds of fish trimmings heads, bones, tail, shrimp shells
- 10 cups water
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 3 pounds of assorted fish and shellfish clams and mussels should be scrubbed clean
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. When hot, add in the leek, onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until softened but not brown.
- Add in the orange peel, tomatoes, fennel, fresh herbs, saffron, fish trimmings, water, wine, salt turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the soup into another large pot.
- Bring the strained soup to a boil over medium high heat. Taste and adjust with additional salt if needed. The soup should be slightly salty (remember we still have unseasoned seafood to add into the soup). Now we'll cook the seafood, adding in the items that require the most cooking time first. If you have whole lobster tails or large crab claws, add them in first and give them a 2-minute head start. Clams next, then the mussels and extra-large shrimp, lastly the fish, scallops and any smaller shrimp. You want to be careful not to overcook the seafood, so 4-5 minutes max then turn off the heat.
- Ladle bouillabaisse into each bowl with the seafood and garnish with fresh fennel fronds.
Notes
Using a variety of fish (mostly finfish) and fewer shellfish is truer to the original spirit of bouillabaisse.
Using a blender instead of the more traditional food mill helps to break down the solids enough so they can pass through a strainer (though you can use a food mill if you have a good one).
You can gently crush the saffron in your fingers, to create a powder that will absorb into the Bouillabaisse recipe.
I only use the green fronds of the fennel (save the white bulb to use in another recipe, like a salad)
Serve with crusty bread!
Nutrition
Calories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 51gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 1340mgPotassium: 997mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 782IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!