The most important tip for preparing this delicacy can be found in its name: “As soon as it boils, turn down the heat!” (“Quand ça bouille – on baisse!”). This trick (which is simply designed to prevent the fish from falling apart) is the only thing which remains the same for every pan of bouillabaisse, wherever in the world it is cooked.

Fresh vegetables, herbs and a quick trip to the fish market are the three cornerstones on which this classic southern French dish is based. Nowhere are the correct ingredients more hotly debated than in its home city of Marseilles. Here almost every chef and every housewife claims that his or her version of bouillabaisse is the original. At first the fish soup was made only with fish. However, shellfish, squid and crustaceans (as in our recipe on the right) have since been added, all depending on the whim of the chef.

It is not without reason that the residents of the port city pay homage to their native dish with almost religious fervour. Using straightforward, easily obtained ingredients it is possible to create an aromatic work of art, which is sufficiently simple and sophisticated to tempt even the most jaded of palates.

The soup is a subtle dish with rich aromas of seafood and herbs. It will satisfy almost any appetite, even when served unaccompanied. More modest eaters who prefer just the overture will miss a really spectacular opera. This is because the delicate interplay of top-quality stock, gently cooked, meaty fish, fresh seafood, a generous portion of garlic and aromatic Mediterranean herbs make this soup a true classic that is enjoyed all over the world.


Text: Hans Kantereit