Bouillabaisse marseillaise

Make the saffron stock

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, fennel and 4 chopped garlic cloves, and cook for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the tomatoes, fish bones and heads, orange peel, bay leaf, thyme and half the saffron, pour in the water and season with salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes at 90°C (194°F), skimming off any foam that rises — this keeps the broth clear.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 leek
• 1 fennel bulb
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (for the stock)
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 kg fish bones and heads
• 1 strip orange peel
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs thyme
• half the pinch saffron
• 2 litres water
• to taste salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the broth is deeply flavoured and pale gold, and the bones have given up all their flavour

Strain and cook potatoes

Pour the stock through a fine sieve into a clean pot, pressing the solids with the back of a ladle to squeeze out every bit of flavour, then discard them. Add the sliced potatoes to the clear broth and simmer for 15 minutes until just tender when pierced with a knife — they will finish cooking later with the fish.

• 4 potatoes

✅ C'est prêt quand : a knife slides into the potato slices with just a little resistance

Whisk the rouille

While the broth simmers, crush the remaining 2 garlic cloves to a paste with a pinch of salt. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the garlic paste, remaining saffron and the cayenne pepper. Add the olive oil a few drops at a time, whisking constantly as if making mayonnaise, until the rouille is thick, glossy and holds its shape on a spoon.

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste (for the rouille)
• remaining pinch saffron
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 200 ml olive oil
• to taste salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without separating

Poach the seafood

Season the broth with salt and pepper, then bring it back to a gentle simmer — never a hard boil, or the fish will turn tough and rubbery. Slide in the fish chunks and simmer for 4 minutes, then add the prawns and mussels, cover and cook for 4–5 minutes more until the mussels have opened and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Discard any mussels that stay shut.

• 800 g fish fillets
• 12 prawns or langoustines
• 500 g mussels
• to taste black pepper

✅ C'est prêt quand : the fish is opaque and flakes easily, the prawns are pink and curled, and the mussels have opened

Toast and serve

Toast the baguette slices until golden and crisp. Ladle the broth with the fish, potatoes and shellfish into warm bowls, float a few croutons spread with rouille on top, and pass the rest of the rouille at the table so everyone can stir in as much as they like.

• 1 toasted baguette