Bouillabaisse
A fragrant Provençal-style seafood soup made with mussels, cod and sea bass, simmered in a saffron- and orange-scented tomato broth for a rich, elegant dish.
Updated : 21 August, 2025
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
2 tablespoon
Olive oil
2
Onions
1
Fennel
2
Garlic
1 tablespoon
Tomato purée
100 milliliters
White wine
750 milliliters
Fish broth
6
Tomato
pinch
Saffron
small handful
Basil
1
Oranges
1 kilograms
Mussels
350 grams
Cod
2
Sea bass fillet
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan. Add the chopped onion and fennel and cook for about 5 minutes, until beginning to soften. Stir in the crushed garlic and tomato purée and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 2
Pour in the wine, stock, and tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Add the saffron, basil stalks, and orange zest. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Prepare the mussels by discarding any with broken shells or those that do not close when tapped. Add them to the pan, stir, and cover with a lid. Boil for around 4 minutes, or until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that remain closed, then remove the pan from the heat.
Step 4
Lift out the mussels carefully. Set aside 18 mussels in their shells and remove the rest from the shells, placing the meat in a small bowl. Discard the basil stalks.
Step 5
Blend the soup until completely smooth, then return it to a saucepan and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce. You should have about 2 litres of soup at this stage.
Step 6
Season well with salt and pepper, then stir in the juice of half an orange. Add the cod and sea bass, cover, and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Return the shelled mussels, the reserved mussels in their shells, and heat through for another 2-3 minutes, until piping hot and the fish is fully cooked.
Step 7
Ladle into bowls and finish with a sprinkling of shredded basil leaves.