French soup "Bouillabaisse": a recipe with photos, cooking secrets

Today we will get to know an amazing dish - Bouillabaisse soup, the recipe of which is known not only to French chefs, but also to all gourmets. At a time when Marseille fishermen were preparing a chowder from the remnants of an unsold catch, they did not suspect that they had shown the world a recipe for an exquisite delicacy, which would later become a traditional dish of French cuisine.

Soup of the poor for the rich

Legend has it that the Bouillabaisse recipe was invented by Marseille fishermen when they cooked soup from the remnants of an unsold catch. As a rule, these were shrimp and squid, several species of fish, as well as shellfish and other inhabitants of the sea kingdom. In those days, soup was known only among the poor, as the dish was very simple and cheap.

Over time, much has changed, and now the soup "Bouillabaisse", the recipe of which readers will know very soon, is cooked in fashionable restaurants in France. This dish is appreciated not only among the indigenous people - foreign tourists with great pleasure order fish soup. The Mediterranean of France is a popular tourist destination. Here, Bouillabaisse is served in almost every restaurant. Marseille cuisine has replaced some of the ingredients, making the soup of the poor an exquisite delicacy for wealthy citizens.

The classic recipe or its variations?

It should immediately be said that the classic recipe "Bouillabaisse" does not. Soups are made differently in every region of France. Nevertheless, there are common principles and recommendations that should be followed during the preparation of traditional dishes of French cuisine:

1. For 1 liter of soup, at least 1 kg of sea fish is required (river for this dish is not suitable).
2. Small fish, as well as the head, fins and tails, languish over a small fire for an hour, and then the broth is filtered (the solid pieces of fish are laid directly into the soup itself).
3. The recipe "Bouillabaisse" is not complete without vegetables. Its classic ingredients - tomatoes, garlic and onions - are always stewed separately.
4. The perfect combination of seasonings for soup: orange zest, saffron, salt and pepper, fennel, celery and basil, bay leaf and paprika, rosemary, thyme, etc.
5. At the heart of the fish is a broth cooked from small fish of 5-6 grades (sea only). This can be a sea bream, sardine, pollock, monkfish, merlang, stingray, tuna, barracks and several others.

There are no squids, scallops, shrimps and octopuses in the classic recipe. However, various variations of this dish allow the use of a wide variety of inhabitants of the sea kingdom.

The legend of French cuisine

“At the gulf, an old fisherman cooked a stew of different fish, seasoned ... - but not seasoned!” This is a quote from a story in which the grandson of an old man told a Russian girl a recipe for a popular dish. Grandfather made soup from red fish, and “to smell more of the sea”, he added shells, shrimps, small crabs, octopuses and omuli. From seasonings - saffron, salt, garlic, onions, bay leaves - only about 17 spices! Boils for half an hour - runs over the edge. The Russian girl “Bouillabaisse” did not work out at all, but all because she used the wrong ingredients.

And to make the dish really tasty, you need to take:

• Assorted sea fish - only 2 kg.
• About 10 pieces of small crabs.
• 3 tomatoes.
• As much garlic.
• 1 onion fennel.
• 2 small onions and leeks.
• 2 stalks of celery.

Seasonings - this is a bouquet that only brings fragrant notes to the dish. Classic combination: 2 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of thyme, sea salt and a teaspoon of thyme. For stewing vegetables, it is best to use olive oil.

Bouillabaisse: a classic recipe

Grind celery, leek, clove of garlic and 1 onion - fry in a saucepan. Along with this, clear the sea fish. Send the heads, tails and fins to the stewed vegetables, add a little water and keep on low heat for 20 minutes.

Brew saffron (a teaspoon of dry mix a glass of boiling water). Pour the boiled water over the tomatoes, peel them and grind them to a puree state. Chop the remaining onion finely, 2 cloves of garlic and fennel - fry until crunchy and add mashed tomatoes.

In the classic “Bouillabaisse” recipe, the fish broth must be filtered, the remaining thick wiped through a sieve or chopped with a blender. Strained broth and gruel pour into fried vegetables, add a pinch of salt and a bouquet of seasonings. Bring to a boil again.

Cut the fish fillet. Divide it into a denser and more tender. First, boil pieces of dense fish (sea eel, bream, scorpion or monkfish), and then more tender ones. Put them on a dish. Strain the broth and pour into serving plates. Serve with dried bread and Rui sauce.

Bouillabaisse with shrimp and mussels

To prepare the dish, you need to prepare the following ingredients (the recipe for Bouillabaisse soup is designed for 6 servings):

• 2 liters of saturated fish stock.
• Fillet of sea bass and mullet (200 grams each).
• Mussels and king prawns (250 grams each).
• Celery, onions and leeks (120 grams each).
• Carrots and cherry tomatoes (150 grams each).
• Olive oil, freshly ground green pepper, salt, parsley and saffron.

Wash the mussels and put in a preheated pan. Wait for the sinks to open slightly, and lay them in a colander. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the fish fillet, then separately fry the chopped celery, onions, tomatoes, garlic and leek. Add a little more oil and continue to simmer over low heat for a while. Shrimps and prepared mussels, pieces of fish and vegetables, as well as spices and chopped garlic are sent to the pan with fish stock. Cook for another 10 minutes, then remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Toulon fish soup

As already noted, the recipe for Buybes soup has many variations. And here is another one of them. This version is somewhat reminiscent of the classic Russian ear, as there is potato in the dish. What is there to beat around the bush? Let's get acquainted with the list of necessary ingredients:

• Large sea fish (about 3 kilograms).
• Small sea fish (4 kg).
• Rice (100 grams).
• Potato (6-7 pieces).
• Fennel Root (2 pcs.)
• Fresh champignons (10 pieces).
• Tomatoes (5-6 pieces).
• Tomato paste or sauce (100 grams).
• Carrots and shallots (5 medium-sized pieces).
• 2 heads of garlic.
• Sweet white onion.
• 3 sprigs of thyme.
• 3 stalks of celery.
• Half a teaspoon of saffron.
• A bunch of basil.
• 3 medium lemons.
• A bottle of dry white wine.
• Salt.
• Olive oil.
• Espeletan pepper.
• Pastis is a special alcoholic beverage infused with aromatic herbs with a pronounced anise odor.

Yes, this is only before French soup "Bouillabaisse", the recipe for which is about to reveal all its secrets, was prepared from everything that was at hand. Today this dish cannot be called budget. However, if you are going to a large company, and there is a special reason, you can surprise everyone invited by the so-called French ear.

Step by step cooking

Cooking a dish is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Just a few steps are separated from the unusual aroma, which instantly gathers all the guests around itself:

1. Cut large sea fish. Heads, tails and fins left for the broth. Carcases cut in half.
2. Cut two types of onions, carrots and fennel into thin slices, and champignons into quarters. Cut one lemon in half. Fry everything over high heat.
3. Cut the tomatoes and two potatoes into small cubes, add to the fried vegetables, then pour the rice, celery and thyme. Keep over high heat for several minutes, seasoned with espeletic pepper (can be replaced with plain red).
4. Rinse and gut small fish thoroughly. Together with heads and tails send to vegetables. Simmer for 7-8 minutes with constant stirring.
5. Pour wine and pastis into a pan with vegetables and fish, raise the temperature and evaporate alcohol. Once this happened, add the tomato paste and simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Cook a large pot. Send the contents of the pan there and pour 6 liters of water. Add lemon (sliced ​​into thin slices), basil and saffron.
7. Correct the taste with pepper and salt.

The recipe for the French "Bouillabaisse" is approaching its logical conclusion. Now you need to prepare pieces of large fish. In a baking sheet with high sides, lay the fillet, cover with lemon slices on top, salt and pepper, and sprinkle with saffron and basil.

Strain the cooked broth. In a small amount, boil 5 potatoes and put them on a fish fillet, then put a container with pieces of large fish on the fire, pour boiling broth and bring it to a boil again. Cover and let the dish brew. And in this case, a dry baguette will be the best companion of Bouillabaisse fish soup. The recipes may be different, but the essence is the same - the real French stew has long ceased to be a dish from the category of “whip up”.

Classic sauce “Rui”

Without it, it’s hard to imagine a real “Bouillabaisse”. Step-by-step recipe for making sauce:

• Grind 5 cloves of garlic in a mortar, half a teaspoon of ground saffron, the same amount of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Add garlic paste and 4 raw yolks.
• Gradually, literally one teaspoon in 15 seconds, add half a liter of olive oil.
• All this time the sauce needs to be stirred.

As soon as the dressing is ready, it will acquire the consistency of mayonnaise. In fact, the Rui sauce is ready. It must be used immediately. Otherwise, the mass will delaminate, and it will be impossible to return it to its original form. Sometimes a little lemon juice is added to make the sauce thicker. Cayenne pepper can be replaced with paprika or chopped bell pepper.

French whip soup

This option is ideal for those who once tasted delicious soup in a French restaurant and now want to recreate its resemblance in their kitchen. Your attention is a simplified recipe for the preparation of "Bouillabaisse":

1. Prepare a fish broth of 700 grams of salmon.
2. Add carrots and 300 grams of celery to the pan. Continue to cook over medium heat.
3. At the same time prepare a dressing for the soup: spasserovat chopped onion and add a pinch of paprika.
4. Mix the broth with dressing, cook for another 15 minutes, then add 200 grams of peeled king prawns and after another 6 minutes - the same amount of squid.
5. After 10 minutes, you can turn off the stove and cover with a lid so that the soup is infused.

Serve "Bouillabaisse" preferably with a dry baguette, grated garlic and boiled potatoes.

Royal soup

As you know, there is no classic recipe for Bouillabaisse soup, but its variations are striking in their variety and splendor. Here is one of them. This dish will certainly appeal to true connoisseurs of fish delicacies. You will need the following ingredients:

• 5 varieties of small fish.
• 1 kg of sound fish fillet.
• Squid and shrimp - 300 grams each.
• Mussels - 200 grams.
• Scallops - 50 grams.
• Onions - 2 pieces of medium size.
• 5-6 cloves of garlic.
• 3 tomatoes.
• 1 medium-sized carrot.
• Bay leaf.
• Parsley.
• Saffron.
• 3 potatoes.
• Juice of one lemon and olive oil (can be replaced with vegetable).

Now it remains only to learn how to cook French Bouillabaisse fish soup.

Recipe

First of all, you need to deal with small fish - you need to thoroughly wash it, remove everything superfluous (fins, heads and tails), peel and pour lemon juice on it. Leave on for 15 minutes. Wash large pieces of fish fillet and cut into small portions. All that remains of the fish, put in a pan and cook a rich broth.

At this time, you can cut seafood (squid, mussels, shrimp and scallops), and then also send them to the pan with fish broth. Literally after 10 minutes, the pan can be removed from the heat and strain the broth. Pour the resulting liquid into a clean pan and put it on the stove again.

Further cooking

Now you need to prepare the vegetables. Carrots and onions should be cut into rings, and potatoes in small slices. Grate the garlic. Pour the tomatoes over with boiling water and peel them, remove the core and cut into 6 slices. Prepare a pan, heat olive oil on it, pour out all the vegetables (except potatoes) and simmer over low heat. Once they are ready, pour into a clean pan and add potatoes along with bay leaf and saffron.

All vegetables can now be poured with fish broth, brought to a boil and sent to the pan with the remaining tomatoes, fish fillet and pepper. Cover and let the soup brew.

How to serve "Bouillabaisse"?

Serving a dish is a whole art. So, for example, in France this soup is served with specially dried bread. Not artificially dried in the oven, namely with stale. Pieces of fish fillet are caught from the rich soup, spread on a plate and poured with hot broth, then seafood platter is added and the whole dish is decorated with greens.