Travel France from your kitchen: bouillabaisse fish stew recipe

The story goes that bouillabaisse was originally invented by fishermen who boiled the fish that were too bony to sell.

Tomatoes were added in the 17th Century, and by the 19th Century the dish was becoming more luxurious, with the addition of fish stock, saffron and - later on - shellfish.

The name comes from the recipe. The soup is boiled (bolhir in Occitan) and then every time a different fish is added, the heat is lowered (abaissar in Occitan).

It can either be served in one dish or the fish can be removed and served separately. It is often accompanied with garlic croutons, rouille (a Provençal sauce made from chilli peppers, garlic, and breadcrumbs blended with stock) or aioli (mayonnaise with garlic).

A real bouillabaisse requires a selection of fresh fish which is not always available in supermarkets, so here is a simplified version using easily available ingredients.

How to make bouillabaisse

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 2 onions, chopped

• 1 small head of fennel chopped

• 2 cloves garlic chopped

• 1 heaped tablespoon tomato purée

• 100ml dry white wine

• 750ml fish stock

• 6 large fresh tomatoes chopped

• Large pinch saffron

• 1 kilo cleaned mussels (throw away any that don't close when tapped)

• 350g cod (cabillaud) cut into pieces

• 1 sea bass (loup) fillet, cut into pieces

• 200g fresh peeled prawns

• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Fry the onions and fennel gently in the olive oil for five minutes.

2. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, wine, saffron and fish stock and then simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add the mussels and boil until they are all open (four to five minutes). If any don't open, throw them away.

4. Remove the mussels. Leave some mussels in their shells and take the rest out of their shells and reserve.

5. Blend the soup (you may need to sieve it to get it completely smooth) and add the cod and sea bass.

6. Simmer for a few minutes and then add the mussels back in along with the fresh peeled prawns until warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bon appétit!