Bouillabaisse is the defining dish of Marseille; a city whose identity is inseparable from the sea. The dish originated as a practical necessity: Marseille fishermen, returning each morning with their catch, would keep the bony, unsellable rockfish for themselves and cook them together in a pot with whatever herbs, tomatoes, and saffron were to hand. The name comes from the Provençal boui abaisso; 'when it boils, lower the flame': a cooking instruction encoded as a recipe name. In 1980, eleven of Marseille's top restaurants signed the Charte de la Bouillabaisse, defining the authentic recipe: at minimum rascasse (scorpionfish), grondin (gurnard), and saint-pierre (John Dory) must be present, cooked in a saffron-fennel-tomato broth, served in two courses; first the broth poured over croutons spread with rouille, then the fish presented separately. Saffron is non-negotiable: it is what turns the broth golden and gives it the particular sweet-metallic depth that distinguishes Marseille's bouillabaisse from any generic fish stew.
Ingredients
Fish
500 g rascasse (scorpionfish) or other firm rockfish, cleaned and cut into large pieces
500 g john dory (saint-pierre), filleted and cut into large pieces
500 g monkfish tail, cut into thick slices
400 g mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Aromatics
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
400 g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
1 strip dried orange peel (or zest of 1 orange)
Saffron
1 generous pinch saffron threads, soaked in 100ml warm water for 20 minutes
Spices
1 tsp dried herbes de Provence
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
Liquid
100 ml dry white wine
1.5 litres good fish stock
Fat
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
Herbs
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
Seasoning
Salt and black pepper
Serving
12 thick slices baguette, toasted until crisp, to serve
Rouille (see recipe), to serve
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and cook gently for 10 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add the tomatoes, orange peel, herbes de Provence, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is thick and fragrant.
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Add the fish stock and the saffron water with its threads. Bring to a vigorous boil. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper.
Add the firmest fish first (monkfish). Boil vigorously for 5 minutes: the high heat emulsifies the olive oil into the broth, giving it its characteristic rich consistency.
Add the remaining fish pieces and the mussels. Cook at a vigorous boil for a further 8–10 minutes until all the fish is cooked through and the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
To serve in the traditional Marseille style: lift the fish carefully onto a warmed serving platter and keep warm. Ladle the golden broth into deep bowls over toasted baguette croutons spread generously with rouille. Bring the fish platter to the table separately for guests to add to their bowls. Scatter chopped parsley and fennel fronds over everything.
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