French Bouillabaisse
This classic French dish relies on the most fresh and pristine ingredients to create a type of soup that is very light and has lots of flavor and depth. Serve with crusty bread and garlic aioli.
Ingredients
- 10-12 head-on gulf prawns
- 30 mussels, rinsed and scrubbed
- 20 clams
- 1 pound rock cod fillet, chopped into pieces
- 1 bulb fennel, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 leeks, finely chopped
- 1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
- ½ bottle dry white wine
- 3 quarts lobster or fish stock
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over high heat. Add celery, leeks, fennel, fennel seeds, thyme, and bay leaf. Season, lower to medium-high, and sweat 7-10 minutes until soft.
- Add crushed tomatoes with a little salt. Bring back to high heat. Add wine and saffron, bring to a boil.
- Add lobster stock and rock cod. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer gently 30-45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- 15 minutes before serving, add shrimp and clams.
- In the last 5 minutes, add mussels. Stir everything through.
- Ladle into large bowls and garnish with crostini and garlic aioli.
- For aioli: blend 1 egg, pinch of salt, lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, and slowly drizzle in 1 cup sunflower oil until thick. Refrigerate until ready.
💡 James' Tip
The foundation of a great bouillabaisse is the stock. Homemade lobster stock is ideal, but good-quality fish stock will work. Add the shellfish in stages based on cooking time.
Learn Bouillabaisse With James
Join James for a hands-on French cooking class in San Francisco. Learn to make classic Bouillabaisse with fresh seafood and homemade aioli.
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