French Bouillabaisse

print recipe
email recipe
save recipe
add photo
add review
#110851

Like all good French food, this Bouillabaisse is rich and exquisitely flavored. A trinity of sea bass, shrimp, and mussels are balanced out by orange zest and thyme. Good bread to mop up the broth is an absolute must.

serves/makes:

ready in:
30-60 minutes

ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 leeks, sliced
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fennel leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
9 cups boiling water
salt and pepper, to taste
5 pounds sea bass
1 pinch saffron threads
3/4 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, leeks, chopped tomatoes, and garlic. Cook and stir over a low heat for a few minutes until all vegetables are soft.

Stir in the fennel, thyme, bay leaf, and orange zest. Add shellfish and boiling water, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Turn up the heat to high, and boil for about 3 minutes to allow the oil and water to combine.

Add fish, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked. The fish should be opaque and tender, but still firm. Fish should not be falling apart.

Taste the bouillabaisse and adjust the seasoning. Stir in saffron, and then pour soup into a warmed tureen or soup dishes. Serve immediately.