An ancient origin for a legendary soup
Although bouillabaisse is now a renowned Provençal speciality, it has not always been so. Its origins date back to ancient Greece and the founding of Marseille, 600 years BC. Even back then, fishermen from the port of Massalia used to make a soup with their unsold fish. Mainly made from small catches and rock fish, this stew called “kakavia” was then enjoyed with the family.
Later traces of bouillabaisse can also be found in Roman mythology. The goddess Venus served this soup to Vulcan to put him to sleep so he could visit Mars, his lover.
Etymologically, however, its name comes from Occitan and Provençal. It means “to boil and lower”, in reference to the action of removing the soup from the heat after boiling.
Initially considered a poor man’s dish, bouillabaisse has conquered the kitchens of the greatest establishments, becoming a luxury dish. Its success has notably created many debates around the real recipe and the respect for its authenticity.
The Bouillabaisse Charter
In 1980, following numerous frauds, the Bouillabaisse Charter was established. Thus, the co-signatory establishments undertake to respect the traditional recipe and the following 4 rules:
– Bouillabaisse must contain at least four species of fish from the following: scorpion fish and white scorpion fish, spider eel, conger eel (fielas), monkfish (anglerfish), red mullet (mullet gurnard), John Dory and capon (scorpène). Lobster and sea cicada can also be added depending on the fishermen’s catch.
Note that to guarantee the quality of the bouillabaisse, the freshness of the fish is essential.
– The ingredients of the soup are: garlic, onions, tomatoes, fennel, potatoes, olive oil, parsley, saffron, salt and pepper.
– Bouillabaisse should be served in two stages, fish on one side and broth on the other.
– Bouillabaisse is always accompanied by croutons rubbed with garlic and rouille. It is a traditional sauce made with potatoes, tomatoes, monkfish liver, and garlic, whipped with olive oil. Today, we tend to make rouille like a spicy mayonnaise.
Be careful, many restaurateurs do not follow these principles. These unscrupulous establishments generally offer a fish soup disguised under the name (and price) of bouillabaisse.
What is the difference between bouillabaisse and fish soup?
It is true that bouillabaisse remains a fish soup. However, be careful not to confuse the two, because the Provençals will tell you, they have nothing to do with each other. It is a bit like confusing ratatouille and piperade. Two souths, two atmospheres!
Bouillabaisse, served with its pieces of fish and its broth on the side, is more like a stew. As mentioned in the charter, it must contain only rock fish. In fish soup, on the other hand, you can find any species of fish, crustaceans and shellfish. Everything is then mixed and served in a single plate.
You won’t be mistaken!
The real recipe for homemade bouillabaisse
Preparation: 20
Cooking: 1 hour
For 10 people
– 2 kg of mixed rock fish
– 6 tomatoes
– 4 potatoes
– 1 thinly sliced fennel
– 1 chopped leek
– 2 chopped onions
– 8 cloves of chopped garlic
– 80 g of tomato paste
– 50 cl of dry white wine
– 1 sprig of thyme
– 1 sprig of dried fennel
– 1 stick of celery
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 pinch of saffron
– salt and pepper
Ask your fishmonger to scale the fish and cut them into pieces.
Brown the fennel, leek and onions in a casserole dish. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Add the halved tomatoes and the white wine, reduce.
Peel and cut the potatoes into slices, place them in the bottom of the pot. Add the pieces of fish, the sprigs of thyme, fennel and celery. Sprinkle with bay leaf, saffron and pepper. Add enough water to cover, bring to the boil. Remove the foam on the surface using a skimmer, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pieces of fish, simmer for another 30 minutes.
Then pass the soup through a vegetable mill and put it back on the heat. Let it reduce until it becomes syrupy.
Pour the broth over the fish pieces, serve with slices of garlic-rubbed croutons and rouille.
Now you know how to make an authentic bouillabaisse.
Did you know? The world record for bouillabaisse is not from Marseille!
For the record, it is Sanary-sur-Mer, a small coastal town in the Var, that holds the record for the largest bouillabaisse in the world and not Marseille. Created in 1990 at the initiative of the fishermen’s labor court and the municipality, 1,274 people were invited to the event.
To make it, no less than 920 kg of fish and eleven different varieties were needed. A 3-metre diameter cauldron, moved using a crane, was specially designed for the occasion. It is still used to prepare the great bouillabaisse that takes place every two years in Sanary-sur-Mer.
More than a specialty, bouillabaisse is a gastronomic and cultural heritage of Provençal history.
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