Bouillabaisse Fish Stew

For the segment « Bon appétit with Gabriel Gaté », find a recipe from the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region called Bouillabaisse that you can find in the book Délicieux, the recipes of France by Gabriel Gaté. When well made, it is one of Gabriel Gaté’s favourite French dishes.

This fish stew speciality of Marseille is traditionally made with a selection of rock fish. It is traditionally served with fried slices of baguette and a garlic mayonnaise.

As a French woman originally from Marseille, this dish reminds me la Corniche in Marseille, the Méditerranée sea, laugh and good time sharing between friends and family.

BOUILLABAISSE FISH STEW

Bouillabaisse

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

10 cumin seeds

20 fennels seeds

1 small red chilli, thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, cut into 8 wedges

1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) fish stock

salt

freshly ground black pepper

a large pinch of saffron threads

2 kg (4 lb 6 oz) firm white fish, cleaned and heads removed

16 prawns (shrimp), shelled and deveined

16 new potatoes, peeled and cooked

2 garlic gloves, chopped

Serves 8

Gently heat the oil in a casserole dish. Add the onion, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and chilli and fry for 1 minute. Add the fennel wedges and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Add the fish stock and season with salt, pepper and saffron. Bring to the boil, then boil for 10 minutes.

Add the whole fish to the casserole dish and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the prawns and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Transfer the fish and vegetables to a platter and garnish with boiled potatoes.

Stir the garlic into the cooking liquid and transfer to a soup tureen.

Diners serve themeselves by placing the seafood and potato into deep soup plates and ladling the liquid over the top.

French people love fish, and to obtain the maximum flavour, they always cook fish on the bone when making bouillabaisse. Then, as they eat it, they patiently remove the bones from the flesh.

Voilà, bon appétit. We look forward to reading your comments about this dish.

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Source: « Délicieux – The recipes of France  » by Gabriel Gaté – Hardie Grant Books

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