Marseille's legendary fish stew — a saffron-scented broth with at least three species of rockfish, traditionally served in two courses with rouille-spread toast.
The Marseille tradition
Bouillabaisse began as fishermen’s stew — rockfish too bony or ugly to sell at market were boiled with seawater, saffron, and fennel on the dockside. The name is a compound of bouillir (to boil) and abaisser (to reduce): the stew is brought to a rapid boil to emulsify the olive oil into the broth, then reduced.
The Marseille Charter
In 1980, eleven Marseille restaurants signed the Bouillabaisse Charter, specifying exactly which fish must be present: at minimum rascasse (Scorpaena scrofa), grondin (Trigla), and Saint-Pierre (Zeus faber), plus optional additions like monkfish, conger eel, and red mullet. The charter prohibits lobster, scallops, and other non-Mediterranean shellfish.
Two-course service
Classic bouillabaisse is served in two acts: first the broth, poured over slices of day-old baguette rubbed with garlic and spread with rouille (a thick emulsion of garlic, egg yolk, saffron, and cayenne). Then the fish is brought out on a platter and eaten alongside more rouille and bread.
Saffron and fennel
The two flavours that distinguish bouillabaisse from generic fish stew are saffron — added in a generous pinch directly to the pot — and fennel. Both the fresh bulb and dried seeds go in. Together they give the broth its distinctive golden colour and anise warmth.
Find more foods by letter
Bouillabaisse starts with B and ends with E. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Bouillabaisse":