Bouillabaisse

Classic Marseille bouillabaisse calls for 5–7 types of fish, including pricey varieties — but at home that's not required. The key rule: use fish with different textures — one delicate type (cod, pollock) plus one firm type (salmon, sea bream, sea bass) plus any seafood (mussels, shrimp, squid). A budget version is perfectly fine as long as you keep the aromatic base: saffron, fennel, orange zest, and pastis or anise. Those spices, not the price of the fish, create the unmistakable flavor.

Saffron gives bouillabaisse its golden color and distinctive spiced aroma — it's the key ingredient. You can substitute turmeric (similar color but different flavor), dried safflower, or paprika — the taste will differ but the soup will still be delicious. If you have no saffron at all, use extra fennel and orange zest for the right aromatics. Real saffron is added in a pinch, pre-soaked in hot water for 10–15 minutes — this releases the aroma much more fully.

Cloudiness comes from vigorous boiling — fish stock must never be cooked at a rolling boil. Simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, skimming foam at the start. For a clear broth: start the fish in cold water and bring to a boil gradually, use only white fish and fish bones (not oily mackerel or herring). Strain the stock through a fine sieve or cheesecloth before adding the main ingredients — this is a mandatory step in classic bouillabaisse.

Rouille is a Provençal garlic sauce based on mayonnaise with saffron and cayenne pepper — it's an inseparable part of bouillabaisse. You can serve the soup without it, but you lose half the experience. Homemade rouille: whisk 2 egg yolks with 3 garlic cloves, a pinch of saffron, salt and lemon juice, then drizzle in olive oil in a thin stream as you would for mayonnaise. A quicker version: mix store-bought mayonnaise with garlic, saffron, and cayenne. Rouille is spread onto toasted baguette slices and placed directly in the bowl.

This is the most common question, and the order matters: first add firm fish (sea bass, sea bream, salmon) — cook 8–10 minutes. Then delicate fish (cod, pollock, haddock) — another 5 minutes. Last, add mussels and clams (2–3 minutes, until they open) and peeled shrimp (1–2 minutes). Squid goes in at the very end — it's done in 1 minute. Overcooked seafood turns rubbery and delicate fish falls apart into mush — following the right sequence solves both problems.