Marseille-Style Bouillabaisse with Saffron Rouille and Gruyère Croûtes

⏱ 105 min · Serves 6

A golden, saffron-scented fish stew built on a deeply savoury fennel and tomato broth, finished with sweet shellfish and firm white fish. Serve with garlicky chilli rouille and bubbling Gruyère croûtes for dunking — a proper Provençal showpiece.

Per serving: 648 kcal · 52.0g protein · 34.0g carbs · 33.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1.2kg mixed whole fish bones and heads (or 1.2kg fish frames from your fishmonger), gills removed, well rinsed
• 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the croûtes
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 large fennel bulb, sliced, fronds reserved
• 1 leek, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 strips orange zest
• 2 bay leaves, 3 thyme sprigs
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 150ml dry white wine
• 1.5 litres water
• 1 large pinch (about 1g) saffron threads
• 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
• 600g firm white fish (monkfish, gurnard or hake), cut into large chunks
• 300g red mullet or sea bass fillet, cut into 4cm pieces
• 400g mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 250g raw shell-on prawns
• 1 tbsp Pernod or Ricard (optional)
• 1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 18 pieces
• 100g Gruyère, finely grated
• 1 garlic clove, halved, for rubbing
• For the rouille: 1 red pepper, roasted and peeled (or 1 jarred piquillo)
• 1 slice stale white bread, crusts off, soaked in 3 tbsp fish stock
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp cayenne or 1 small red chilli
• pinch saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
• 150ml olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

1. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, fennel, leek and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 12–15 minutes until soft and sweet but not browned.
2. Add the fish bones and heads and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the fennel seeds, tomato purée, tomatoes, orange zest, bay and thyme, then the wine. Bubble for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the water, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 35 minutes, skimming any scum. Do not boil hard or the stock will turn bitter.
4. Strain through a colander into a clean pan, pressing the solids firmly with a ladle to extract all the flavour, then pass through a fine sieve. You want about 1.5 litres. Add the saffron and 1 tsp salt, and keep warm.
5. Make the rouille: blitz the roasted pepper, squeezed-out soaked bread, garlic, cayenne, saffron water and egg yolk to a paste. With the motor running, trickle in the olive oil until thick and glossy. Season with lemon juice and salt. Chill.
6. For the croûtes, brush the baguette slices with olive oil, bake at 190C/170C fan for 8–10 minutes until crisp, rub with the cut garlic, scatter with Gruyère and grill for 1–2 minutes until melted and blistered.
7. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Add the firm white fish and cook 3 minutes. Add the mussels and prawns, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Add the red mullet and cook a final 2 minutes, until the fish just flakes and the mussels have opened. Discard any closed mussels.
8. Stir in the Pernod, if using, and check the seasoning. Ladle into wide bowls with plenty of broth, scatter with chopped fennel fronds, and serve with the Gruyère croûtes and a generous spoonful of rouille to swirl in.