Easy Marseille-Style Bouillabaisse
shared by Nibblore Cuisine
This approachable bouillabaisse combines firm white fish and mussels with tomatoes, fennel and saffron in a deeply aromatic broth. Adding the fish in stages according to thickness keeps it tender, while garlic-rubbed croûtes soak up the flavourful broth. It is an impressive but manageable choice for a relaxed dinner with friends, without the many varieties of fish used in traditional versions. • Choose two firm fish with different textures and thicknesses, such as cod and monkfish, for added contrast without complicating the recipe. • The broth can be prepared up to two days ahead, but add the fish and mussels only when you are ready to serve. • Keep the broth at a bare simmer after adding the fish; a vigorous boil will make the flesh dry and cause it to break apart. • If your fish stock is already salted, omit the salt initially and adjust the seasoning only after the mussels have opened. • Replace the white wine with 150 ml fish stock mixed with 2 teaspoons lemon juice. • If mussels are unavailable, use 500 g thoroughly purged clams and cook them until they open. • Hake, coley, cod, monkfish or gurnard can be used alone or in combination, provided the pieces are kept thick. • For a gluten-free serving option, replace the baguette with certified gluten-free bread and check the fish stock label. Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Reheat very gently, covered, without boiling, until the fish is hot throughout. The broth alone can be frozen for up to 2 months, but freezing the cooked fish and mussels is not recommended because their texture will deteriorate.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 1 kgfirm white fish fillets, boneless and cut into 5 cm pieces
- 750 gmussels, cleaned and debearded
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 1yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1leek, white part washed and thinly sliced
- 1fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 4 clovegarlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsptomato purée
- 400 gtinned chopped tomatoes
- 150 mldry white wine
- 1.2 lunsalted fish stock
- 1unwaxed orange, zest removed in three wide strips
- 1 tspfennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 tspdried thyme
- 2bay leaves
- ¼ tspsaffron threads
- ¼ tspcayenne pepper
- 1 tspfine salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tspground black pepper
- 1baguette, cut into 12 slices
- 2 tbspolive oil, for the croûtes
- 1 clovegarlic, peeled and halved for rubbing the croûtes
- 2 tbspflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 5–6 litre casserole over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, fennel and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, then cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until softened but not browned.
- 2Add the chopped garlic, tomato purée, fennel seeds and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the tomato purée darkens slightly. Pour in the white wine, scrape the base of the casserole and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until reduced by half.
- 3Add the chopped tomatoes, fish stock, orange zest, thyme, bay leaves, saffron, remaining salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. The broth should reduce slightly while remaining plentiful enough to cover the fish.
- 4While the broth cooks, arrange the baguette slices on a baking tray and brush them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp. Immediately rub the tops with the cut garlic clove, then set aside.
- 5Remove the orange zest and bay leaves. Taste the broth and adjust the salt cautiously, as the mussels will add salinity. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, add the thickest pieces of fish and cook for 3 minutes without stirring.
- 6Add the thinner pieces of fish, cover and cook for another 3 minutes. Arrange the mussels on top, cover again and cook for 4–6 minutes, until the mussels have opened and the fish is opaque, pearly at the centre and flakes into large pieces. Discard any mussels that remain closed after cooking.
- 7Gently shake the casserole rather than stirring to avoid breaking up the fish. Scatter with parsley and serve immediately in warmed soup bowls, with two garlic croûtes per person.