Marseille Bouillabaisse

Method

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1. Sweat the fennel, onion, leek and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 12 minutes until soft and golden.

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2. Add the fish bones and heads and cook 5 minutes, pressing down to release their juices.

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3. Pour in the Pernod, let it bubble, then add the tomatoes, orange peel, saffron, salt and 2 litres of water. Bring to a simmer.

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4. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes — no longer, or the broth turns bitter. Skim any scum from the surface.

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5. Press the broth through a coarse sieve, pushing hard on the solids to extract everything, then pass through a fine sieve. You should have about 1.6 litres.

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6. Make the rouille: pound the garlic and saffron with a pinch of salt, whisk in the yolk and paprika, then drizzle in the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until thick like mayonnaise.

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7. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Add the monkfish, cook 4 minutes; add the bass, cook 3 minutes; add the mullet and mussels, cover, and cook 3 minutes more until the mussels open.

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8. Serve the broth and fish in wide bowls, with toasted baguette spread thickly with rouille floating on top and the reserved fennel fronds scattered over.

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Chef’s Tips

• Ask your fishmonger for bones and heads; they are usually free and are the entire point of the dish.
• Never boil the broth once the fish is in — a hard boil shreds delicate fillets.
• A traditional bouillabaisse uses at least four species. Use whatever is fresh and firm locally.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Pairing Suggestions

• A dry Cassis or Bandol blanc from the same coastline
• Nothing but the rouille croutons is needed
• Follow with a simple lemon sorbet

Storage & Reheating

The broth freezes beautifully for 3 months — make it ahead and the stew becomes a 15-minute dish. Cooked fish does not keep well; poach only what you will serve.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.