How to Make a Classic Bouillabaisse

This classic French dish may sound elegant, but I promise it is a cinch to make. Bouillabaisse is a great meal to prepare when you are expecting a large crowd for dinner. The recipe serves a lot of people without much kitchen time for you. Keep in mind that a classic bouillabaisse includes seven different types of seafood and is served topped with a rouille sauce.

Things You'll Need

• Rouille sauce
• 1 red bell pepper roasted and peeled
• 2 gloves garlic
• 1 piece white bread torn into small pieces
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of saffron
• Food processor
• 1 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Bouillabaisse
• 2 lbs. assorted firm whitefish
• 1 cutting board
• 1 knife
• 1 Dutch oven or large saucepan
• 1 wooden spoon
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 4 shallots finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 2 cups canned tomatoes crushed
• 2 gloves garlic crushed
• 2 tsp. fennel seed
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• ¼ tsp. saffron
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. black pepper
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups fish broth
• 5 whole crabs cut into quarters
• 2 lbs. mussels
• 2 cups uncooked shrimp
• 1 loaf French bread sliced and toasted
• 4 to 6 serving bowls

Instructions

1. Combine the roasted red bell pepper, garlic, white bread, egg yolks, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and saffron in a food processor and puree until smooth. While the food processor is still running, slowly add the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the rouille sauce until needed.

2. Place the 2 lbs. of whitefish on the cutting board and using a sharp knife cut the fish into 2 inch pieces and set aside.

3. Heat ¾ cup olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, red bell pepper, and shallots to the hot oil. Sauté the onions, peppers and shallots for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the chopped garlic, tomatoes, fennel seed, dried thyme, saffron, salt and black pepper. Stir the vegetables with a wooden spoon to combine and coat with the olive oil.

4. Add 4 cups of water to the Dutch oven and bring to a rolling boil. Add 2 cups fish broth, the white fish pieces and the crab quarters to the water and boil for an additional 7 to 9 minutes.

5. Add the mussels, clams and shrimp to the Dutch oven and boil for 6 minutes or until the shrimp are firm and pink in color and the mussels and clams start to open.

6. Place one slice of toasted French bread into the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle the bouillabaisse over the bread. Top with a dollop of the rouille sauce and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a variety of whitefish in the bouillabaisse such as bass, flounder, whiting and cod. Do not be afraid to mix it up. This is what makes a classic bouillabaisse.

• Remove any mussels or clams that fail to open and discard.

• If the rouille is too thick you can add a few drops of hot water to thin it out.