Traditional provencal Bouillabaisse consists of a mix of fish and seafood simmered in a rich broth. My easy version requires only a few types of seafood and comes together in under an hour with the help of store-bought fish broth.
Many thanks to Aneto Natural Broths for sponsoring this post and providing the broth used to create the recipe!
Seafood Bouillabaisse
After weeks of unconventionally warm weather, we woke to a blanket of snow this morning. Its provided the perfect backdrop for our family’s low-key New Years Eve celebration. We’re letting the kids stay up late tonight to join us for an elegant candle-lit dinner and Times Square Ball Drop viewing. This elegant-yet-simple Seafood Bouillabaisse is the perfect warming winter meal for a night like tonight.
If you’re unfamiliar with Bouillabaisse, its a French-provencial fish stew. Long ago, the fishermen from the port city of Marseille would simmer their unsold catch in a stew spiced with fennel and saffron.
The base for the stew is easy to make by sautéing a variety of chopped vegetables in olive oil, then adding saffron, canned crushed tomatoes and fish broth. As the basis for the dish, the quality fish broth is pretty important but because making fish broth from scratch can be labor intensive, I like to use Aneto Fish Broth. Since their broths are made in small-batches using all-natural ingredients, the flavor and quality is just like homemade. It’s a great way to save time without sacrificing flavor.
Start with a Great Base
Once you’ve created your stew base, finishing the dish requires little more than adding your fish and seafood and letting it cook through. It’s ideal for dinner parties since you can make your stew base up to 24 hours in advance. When its time to serve the Bouillabaisse, simply reheat the stew on the stovetop, add your fish and prepare to serve.
Fresh is Best
A good Bouillabaisse should feature at least a few types of fish and shellfish, but don’t let that intimidate you. To limit prep and keep our version kid-friendly, we limited our fish to cod, shrimp, clams and mussels. Additional options include other varieties of white fish, squid, lobster and scallops. Choose seafood that appeals to you and ensure its as fresh as possible.
Traditionally, Bouillabaisse is served with slices of toasted baguette and a simple garlic/roasted red pepper mayonnaise sauce called a rouille. The bread is essential for mopping up every bite of that delicious broth while the rouille sauce adds a wonderful and unexpected richness to the dish. Don’t skip them!
The end result is a super-elegant and warming stew that’s really easy to love. Even our two children enjoy this dish — although they choose to eat it only with the cod. This a an AMAZING dish anytime of year but particularly wonderful for winter celebrations. Whether you’re celebrating New Years Eve or something else, keep this delicious Bouillabaisse in mind!
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Rich and Warming Bouillabaisse
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Main Dish
- Cuisine: French
Description
Traditional provencal Bouillabaisse is consists of a mix of fish and seafood simmered in a rich broth. My easy version requires only a few types of seafood and comes together in under an hour with the help of store-bought fish broth.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 6 small potatoes, chopped
- 1 small bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped
- pinch saffron
- 4 cups fish broth such as Aneto
- 1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound fresh cod or another fish of choice, diced
- 8 raw shrimp, shells on
- 8 littleneck clams
- 8 mussels
- Garnishes and accompaniments: Chopped fennel fronds, chopped parsley, slices of toasted baguette
- Rouille sauce (see notes below)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, fennel and saffron until translucent. Add tomatoes and fish broth and bring to a boil. Cook stew until thickened, about 20 minutes. If you’re planning to serve the stew immediately, continue to step 2. If serving later, allow stew to cool completely and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. When ready too serve, bring back to a simmer over medium heat before continuing to step 2.
- Lower heat to simmer and add fish, adjusting heat to keep the liquid bubbling gently. Add cod or other diced fish first. Follow with clams about 5 minutes later. Finally, add the shrimp and mussels. Cover the pot and continue simmering until clams and mussels are open and shrimp is pink.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with toasted bread slices and rouille.
Notes
To make rouille, combine one minced garlic cloves, a 1/4 cup of finely minced jarred roasted red pepper, and cayenne pepper with 1/4 cup mayonnaise.
Keywords: Stew, Fish, Seafood, New Years Eve, Soup, Shrimp, Bouillabaisse
