Bouillabaisse Recipe – A French Inspired Seafood Stew

Trust me, once you try this incredible recipe, you’ll be hooked. Despite its impressive appearance, like all of my mom’s recipes, it’s surprisingly easy to make. Plus, it’s perfect for special occasions—I’ve served it on Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras, Christmas Eve, and for birthday dinners. In short, here’s why I highly recommend this recipe:

• Easy and impressive dish that’s elegant while still rustic.
• Flexible ingredients – add, subtract, substitute to fit your tastes and what’s available.
• Super flavorful and aromatic broth.
• Can be made 1 to 2 days ahead, refrigerated, and reheated shortly before serving. 

Here’s what you’ll need to make mom’s version of this intensely flavorful dish, which can be found at your local grocery store or fish market:

• Butter – for softening the vegetables and fish, the key flavoring ingredients in the dish’s broth.
• Chopped yellow onions and garlic – traditional ingredients in any bouillabaisse.
• Chopped green bell peppers and celery – these vegetables were added by mom; while not necessary, they add more depth of flavor and a bit of contrasting color.
• Fresh fish – Mom used white fish like sole or flounder, but any firm-fleshed fish will work. Choose what’s sustainably sourced, in season, and not on a watch list.
• Seafood – crabmeat, clams and mussels. For the latter, look for PEI (Prince Edward Island) fresh mussels as they are farm-raised and don’t require as much cleaning. If fresh clams or mussels aren’t available in your area, substitute shrimp.
• Chopped fresh tomatoes – can use canned when fresh aren’t in season.
• Tomato sauce – Mom amped up the tomato flavor by adding tomato sauce. Technically, this makes her recipe somewhat of a hybrid between a bouillabaisse and a cioppino!
• Dry white wine – another traditional ingredient, wine adds acidity and complexity, as well as tenderizes the fish and seafood.
• Clam juice – while not traditional, it enhances the seafood flavor, adding depth to the broth.
• Worcestershire sauce – optional. Honestly, I’m not sure why Mom included this ingredient!
• Dried and fresh herbs, including Italian seasoning, dry oregano, bay leaf, and fresh basil – traditional ingredients in bouillabaisse.
• Cayenne pepper – because mom always liked a bit of spice!
• Seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s) – can use regular salt.
• Saffron – a main ingredient in any bouillabaisse.

Here’s how to create this delicious dish:

1. Prep the fish, seafood, and vegetables. 
    Remove any bones and skin from the fish. Rinse, pat dry, and cut the fish fillets into 1-inch pieces. Scrub the mussels and clams. Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Seed, core and chop the green pepper. Chop the celery and tomatoes.
2. Soften the vegetables.
   In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until the pepper and onions begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
3. Add fish and wine.
   Stir in the fish and wine; reduce heat to medium-low and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add remaining broth ingredients.
   Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, clam juice, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, bay leaf, and saffron. Bring to a boil.
5. Add seafood.
   Gently stir in the crabmeat. Then, add the clams and mussels, reduce the heat to medium-low (maintaining a low boil slightly above a simmer), cover, and cook until the shells open. Discard any shells that remain closed. Keep a close eye on the seafood, as cooking times may vary; stop cooking as soon as the majority of the shells open to prevent overcooking and toughness in the mussels and clams.
6. Add basil and serve.
   Stir in basil and serve immediately in shallow bowls.

While I think this recipe is amazing as is, here are a few ways you can modify this recipe and make it your own:

• Add red peppers, chopped leeks, and/or fennel.
• Add shrimp, or use in place of the clams and/or mussels.
• Add fresh thyme leaves to the herbs.
• Use homemade fish stock or seafood stock instead of water and clam juice.
• Use red pepper flakes instead of cayenne pepper.
• Remove the green pepper, celery, and tomato sauce to create a more traditional version of bouillabaisse.
• Just before serving, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of black pepper.

Bouillabaisse is best served in large bowls. Note that traditional bouillabaisse recipes remove the chopped vegetables before serving the fish and seafood in the strained broth. Mom kept the veggies in, boosting the broth’s flavor.

In terms of side dishes, crusty bread is a must-have when serving bouillabaisse, to soak up all that delicious broth. Choose a French baguette or a rustic loaf with a crispy crust. Alternatively, our Anise Bread is a great choice. I also like to serve it with one of these salads:

• Spinach Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing
• Spinach Salad with Pine Nut Dressing
• Caesar Salad
• Mixed greens with a Mustard Vinaigrette

Another classic accompaniment to bouillabaisse is Rouille, a traditional Provençal sauce akin to flavored mayonnaise. Typically made with garlic, saffron, cayenne pepper (or red chili peppers), breadcrumbs, egg yolks, and olive oil, Rouille adds a spicy kick to the stew. It can be spread on bread or spooned directly into the dish. There are various Rouille recipes on the web, including a particular delicious-sounding one from Mark Matsumoto on PBS Food.