Bouillabaisse

A bouillabaisse, to be served according to the rule observed in Marseille, under perfect conditions, requires at least 7 or 8 guests. Here is the reason: since a great variety of so-called rockfish are used in its making, it is good to make it substantial, so as to bring in as many species as possible.

Several of these fish have a particular taste, a flavour of their own. It is on the combination of all these different tastes that the success of the operation depends. One can certainly make a passable bouillabaisse with 3 or 4 kinds of fish, but the accuracy of the observation above will be granted.

Let us return to the operation. Having gathered the necessary fish, such as spiny lobster, scorpionfish, gurnard or tub gurnard, weever, roucaou, John Dory, conger eel of the sort called vaudreuil or monkfish, conger or fielas, whiting, sea bass, crabs, etc., scale and clean them. Cut into sections and set out on 2 dishes: on one the firm fish, spiny lobster, scorpionfish, weever, gurnard, fielas, monkfish, crabs; on the other, the tender fish, sea bass, roucaou, John Dory, whiting.

Put into a saucepan 3 sliced onions, 4 crushed cloves of garlic, 2 peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes, a sprig of thyme, as much fennel, parsley, a bay leaf, a piece of orange peel; lay the firm fish on top, drizzle with half a glass of oil, moisten just a little more than to cover with boiling water, season with salt, pepper and saffron, and bring the liquid to a boil over very high heat. The saucepan should sit half within the stove, that is to say half surrounded by flames. After 5 minutes of boiling, add the tender fish, such as sea bass, roucaou, etc. Continue the boiling, still briskly, for another 5 minutes, which makes 10 minutes from the start of the boiling.

Then remove from the heat, strain the liquid over slices of bread a centimetre and a half thick, arranged in a deep dish. Dress the fish symmetrically on another dish. Sprinkle the whole with chopped parsley and send to table at the same time.

Above all take care that the cooking proceeds briskly, this is one of the essential points; through this, the amalgamation of the oil with the broth takes place and gives a perfectly bound liquor; otherwise the oil would separate from the liquid and float on the surface, which would be a rather unpleasant sight.

We have dwelt somewhat at length on this article, but this demonstration was necessary; of ten cookery books that give this recipe, nine of them give it only imperfectly; when you are told, for instance, to put all the fish at once into the saucepan and let it cook briskly for 15 minutes, it is inadmissible that a piece of John Dory or a slice of whiting, having cooked for a quarter of an hour at a hard boil, should still be presentable. It must infallibly turn to mush, this fish being very delicate.