How to Make Bouillabaisse

This classic French seafood soup entrée requires a considerable amount of time spent searching for and prepping fresh seafood ingredients. It is worth every single ounce of effort. While the quantity of seafood listed below may seem excessive, you really need to try it out for a special occasion, especially if you have guests coming over that love seafood.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp cooking-quality olive oil
2 white onions small dice
2 stalks celery small dice
2 carrots, small dice
2 Yukon Gold potatoes cut medium dice
2 cloves garlic finely minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely minced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 cups dry white wine
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes
2 cups homemade fish stock or clam juice
32 oz (2 lbs) firm white fish fillets broken into large bite-sized chunks
16 oz (1 lb) shrimp, peeled and deveined
32 oz (2lbs) fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded *Make sure the mussels you are using are alive. To check, take any open mussels and tap them gently on the countertop. If the shells close up, the mussel is alive. If the shell is cracked or the mussel smells at all funny, discard it and don’t think twice.
16 oz (1 lb) fresh clams scrubbed
3 Tbsp fresh parsley or more, finely sliced
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste.

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onions, and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
Add the celery, carrots, and potatoes, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, fresh thyme, dried oregano, and bay leaves, and cook until the vegetables are tender, or about 5 minutes.
Increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a simmer.
Cook down the wine for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer.
Add the fish stock, and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Check to make sure the potatoes are fully cooked and completely tender.
Add the fish fillets, shrimp, mussels, and clams, and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the bouillabaisse hot with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Notes

This dish makes for amazing leftovers when reheated in the oven.