This traditional Provençal fish stew is one of the easiest and most satisfying meals you can make, and it has the most scrumptious aroma. In just one hour, you can be enjoying a hearty bowl of Julia Child’s Bouillabaisse!
Julia Child’s classic bouillabaisse recipe is a type of French seafood stew that combines fish, shellfish and vegetables in a tasty broth. Aside from cooking her recipes, it’s easy to get caught up in all things Julia Child.
Everything from her warbly, exuberant voice to her healthy physical lust for her husband.
Thinking about Julia Child had me plucking my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking off the shelf for a little sit-down time.
I wanted to make a recipe from the book, but I had trouble conjuring that spark of hunger that usually makes me rush to the kitchen to cook. I think it’s because some of the recipes in the book are stuck in a bit of a time warp?
Browsing through the book, you’ll find recipes that speak to another time, before ingredients like crème fraîche became a staple in the grocery store.
Things like chicken aspic on a dish, decorated with slivers of jarred pimiento and crepes filled with boiled, canned pineapple.
Based on those kinds of recipes, you can draw a picture of the 1960’s American housewife that Julia was writing for.
Imagine a perfectly coiffed woman about to throw a dinner party in her sprawling suburban home, wearing a bullet bra, Jackie O Chanel suit and smoking a long cigarette, like a character from the television show Mad Men.
Julia’s precise directions for making homemade mayonnaise, perfect rolled omelets and puffy souffles are what make Mastering the Art of French Cooking stand alone on the cookbook shelf.
But in between the cream-colored pages of Julia’s tome are a multitude of other classic recipes and techniques that will never go out of style or fail to please. A perfect example is Julia’s version of a traditional bouillabaisse recipe.
Bouillabaisse is a Provençal fish soup with a tomato base. While there’s no strict formula, this hearty seafood soup can contain a wide variety of different types of seafood and shellfish.
Julia Child’s Classic French Bouillabaisse
A simple recipe for Julia Child’s bouillabaisse, the classic French seafood soup. The delicious soup with a simple rouille is full of shellfish, seafood and fragrant tomatoes and can be made in less than an hour.
Prep: 25min
Total: 65min
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 996 kcal, Carbohydrate 10 g, Protein 141 g, Fat 44 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 496 mg, Sodium 962 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 4 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped leek
- 4 cloves smashed garlic
- 2 or 3 large (ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2 cups canned)
- 2 ½ quarts water
- Fresh herb sprigs: thyme (parsley, fennel fronds and basil (in any combination))
- 1 2-inch wide strip of fresh orange peel (optional)
- ½ teaspoon crumbled saffron
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 3 – 4 pounds fish heads (bones, trimmings, shrimp shells)
- 1 pound peeled shrimp (save the shells for the stock)
- 1 pound cod, halibut or other flaky white fish (cut into large chunks)
- 1 pound mussels or clams (scrubbed and mussels debearded)
- Crusty bread (sliced, for serving)
- 1 roasted and peeled red bell pepper ((jarred peppers are fine))
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 peeled garlic clove
- ¼ cup fresh bread crumbs or ground almonds
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- Fine sea salt (about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instruction:
- Taste the soup and add more salt and freshly ground pepper if needed.
- Serve the soup with bread and rouille.
Bouillabaisse — Frenchy fish stew with croutons and rouille
FAQ
What is bouillabaisse sauce made of?
What are the common components of bouillabaisse?
Why does bouillabaisse take 2 days?
What is the difference between cioppino and bouillabaisse?
