Photo of Bouillabaisse by WW

Bouillabaisse

5
Points® value
Total Time
1 hr 18 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
58 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Moderate
Every bustling Mediterranean seaport has a favourite seafood soup or stew, and bouillabaisse is the world-celebrated fish soup of Provence. Made with fish, shellfish, aromatics, tomatoes, wine, and herbs, it is traditionally served with crusty French bread. A touch of orange zest and Pernod (anise-flavoured liqueur) provide extra zing. If you don't have Pernod, add a pinch of ground fennel seeds to the soup while it simmers. A few potatoes make make this stew a hearty meal—though a cool side salad of tender butter lettuce leaves dressed in a classic vinaigrette would make a nice accompaniment.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 tbsp(s)

Uncooked leek

4 cup(s), large, cleaned and thinly sliced

Garlic clove

4 clove(s), medium, minced

Uncooked fennel bulb

½ medium, chopped

Carrots

2 medium, diced

Canned clam juice

32 oz

Canned diced tomatoes

14½ oz

White wine

cup(s), dry

Liqueur

½ fl oz, Pernod

Fresh thyme

1 tbsp(s), fresh, chopped

Orange zest

2 tsp(s), grated

Saffron

½ tsp(s), threads, crushed

Cayenne pepper

tsp(s)

Uncooked red potato

6 small, cut into 1⁄2-inch chunks

Uncooked halibut fillet

1 pound(s)

Uncooked shrimp

½ pound(s), large size, peeled and deveined

Uncooked shelled mussels

½ pound(s), scrubbed, debearded

Uncooked scallops

¼ pound(s), or shucked oysters

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the leek and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7–10 minutes. Add the fennel and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2–3 minutes. Add the clam juice, tomatoes, wine, Pernod, thyme, orange zest, saffron, and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the potatoes; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the fish fillets, shrimp, mussels, and oysters; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the fish and shrimp are just opaque in the center and the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that don’t open.
  4. Yields 1 2/3 cups per serving.

Notes

After buying mussels, discard those with broken shells or shells that do not close tightly when gently tapped. Since mussels can be sandy, soak them in a bowl of cold water for 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat, using fresh water, until there is no more sand in the bowl. Then scrub them with a stiff brush under cold running water. The hairy filaments that protrude from a mussel are known as a beard. To remove, pinch the filaments between thumb and forefinger and pull firmly.