Bouillabaisse du Midi
A flamboyant rock fish soup, perfumed with saffron, fennel, and garlic, served in two stages: the broth poured over garlic-rubbed croutons, then the fish separately on a large platter.
A flamboyant rock fish soup, perfumed with saffron, fennel, and garlic, served in two stages: the broth poured over garlic-rubbed croutons, then the fish separately on a large platter.
When I was a kid, over there near Aix, under that sun that bakes the stones, I already smelled the scent of saffron and fennel rising from the kitchens. Bouillabaisse, you see, is not a drawing-room dish: it is the whole sea thrown into a cauldron, scorpionfish and conger, with tomato, garlic, and singing olive oil. We served the boiling broth over garlic-rubbed croutons, and the fish separately, on a large platter. I have never found again, in all of Paris, that fire of the Midi that stirs the heart.
- •Rock fish (scorpionfish, conger, gurnard, John Dory) — an assortment (base of the broth)
- •Provence olive oil — generous (emulsion and flavor)
- •Ripe tomatoes — a few (color and acidity)
- •Garlic, onion, leek — in abundance (aromatic base)
- •Saffron and fennel — a pinch, a branch (Provençal signature)
- •Garlic-rubbed bread croutons — as needed (broth support)
Bouillabaisse du Midi
A flamboyant rock fish soup, perfumed with saffron, fennel, and garlic, served in two stages: the broth poured over garlic-rubbed croutons, then the fish separately on a large platter.
Why this dish? Zola spent his childhood in Aix-en-Provence, in the light and smells of the Midi. Bouillabaisse, a fisherman's soup turned festive dish, revives this land of his youth — the saffron, fennel, and olive oil he recalled with nostalgia far from Provence.
When I was a kid, over there near Aix, under that sun that bakes the stones, I already smelled the scent of saffron and fennel rising from the kitchens. Bouillabaisse, you see, is not a drawing-room dish: it is the whole sea thrown into a cauldron, scorpionfish and conger, with tomato, garlic, and singing olive oil. We served the boiling broth over garlic-rubbed croutons, and the fish separately, on a large platter. I have never found again, in all of Paris, that fire of the Midi that stirs the heart.
Ingredients (period version)
- Rock fish (scorpionfish, conger, gurnard, John Dory) — an assortment (base of the broth)
- Provence olive oil — generous (emulsion and flavor)
- Ripe tomatoes — a few (color and acidity)
- Garlic, onion, leek — in abundance (aromatic base)
- Saffron and fennel — a pinch, a branch (Provençal signature)
- Garlic-rubbed bread croutons — as needed (broth support)
Ingredients
- Mixed rock fish (scorpionfish, gurnard, weever, conger) — 1.2 kg (fish)
- Olive oil — 8 tbsp (base)
- Tomatoes — 4 (acidity, color)
- Onion and leek white — 1 + 1 (aromatics)
- Garlic — 4 cloves (flavor)
- Saffron — 1 dose (signature)
- Fennel (branch or seeds) — 1 (Midi flavor)
- Country bread slices — 8 (croutons)
Method
- Sauté onion, leek, and garlic in olive oil; add crushed tomatoes, fennel, and saffron.
- Cover with boiling water, add the firmest fish and boil vigorously for 15 minutes (the strong cooking emulsifies the oil and broth).
- Add the delicate fish at the end of cooking to avoid breaking them.
- Rub the croutons with garlic, pour the boiling broth over them in the bowls, and present the fish separately on a large platter.
How it was made : Born as a Marseille fisherman's soup made from unsellable rock fish, bouillabaisse became a festive dish in the 19th century. The golden rule: a broth that boils hard to bind the oil, and service in two stages.
The contemporary twist : Accompany with a spoonful of rouille (garlic and saffron mayonnaise) on the croutons, in the style of today's Marseille tables.
Émile Zola · Charactorium