Bouillabaisse - a Provencal fish dish in Marseille

Monday, 16 December 2024 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

Our days in Marseille were coming to an end and we still hadn't been able to try the bouillabaisse that is so famous in Marseille.

In order to try the truly original fish dish, we wanted to go to a restaurant a little away from the tourist crowds that could offer truly original bouillabaisse.

So the Quartier du Panier or the small fishing port were the first options for us, and we ultimately decided on that. We took the bus line 83 we already knew to above the fortress at the Plage des Catalans, and once again walked the rest of the way. It was already clear to us that bouillabaisse is a fish dish typical of Provence, which, depending on how it is prepared, is served as a two-course dish of fish soup and cooked fish with seafood or as a rich stew. The term bouillabaisse is also used synonymously with "Provencal fish soup" and the Marseille version of the preparation.

Bouillabaisse - the ancient history of fish soup

The forerunner of bouillabaisse is considered to be the dragon head soup, which already existed in ancient times and is one of the great traditions of the Mediterranean region. The first written mention of such a soup can be found in Pliny the Elder.

According to recipe research by Raymond Oliver, the rules for bouillabaisse as we know it today date back to the 16th century: "... and its new cradle was Marseille, perhaps even the Catalan district, because they have the honour of having introduced saffron."

It is assumed that the soup was originally cooked by fishermen with sea water from small fish and fish scraps that were left over from the market.

Cultural historians can use written sources to prove that the bouillabaisse known today in haute cuisine and restaurants deviates from the simple basic recipe.

The oldest known recipe for such a fish soup dates back to 1790 by Jourdan le Cointe in his book “La cuisine de santé” and describes a soup traditionally prepared by fishermen that already contained many of the ingredients of today’s bouillabaisse. It was called “Matelotte du Poissonier” and at that time it still lacked tomatoes, fennel and leeks. The first recipe for a “Bouil–Abaisse à la Marseillaise” appeared in 1830 in “Le cuisinier Durand” and contained European sea bass and lobster, high-quality and expensive ingredients that were not contained in the original fish soup. In the past, the term “bouillabaisse” was apparently not limited to a specific fish dish, because in old cookbooks from Provence there are recipes with this title that do not contain any fish at all.

It is already clear that it is really not that easy if you want to use truly original ingredients. Over time, the bouillabaisse has been adapted to the fish and vegetable ingredients available. And understandably, a certain degree of secrecy always arises when you ask for the recipe in a restaurant. Our conclusion is simply that the bouillabaisse is always adapted to the ingredients available.

Preparation as we enjoyed the bouillabaisse.

Almost all fish living in the port of Marseille can be used as fish for the bouillabaisse. Important for the taste, at least according to our host in the restaurant, is the use of a large number of fish species native to the Mediterranean.

The large red scorpionfish is typical, which is why this soup was probably called scorpionfish soup in ancient times.

Brown scorpionfish, John Dory, gurnards, monkfish, conger eel, red mullet, whiting and wolffish or various perch such as sea bass are also used. Seafood used includes slipper lobsters, lobsters, langoustines, shrimps and mussels. The vegetables used include garlic, onions, tomatoes, fennel, leeks and often potatoes.

Preparation and cooking of the bouillabaisse ingredients

For preparation, the fish are cleaned, deboned, cut into larger pieces and sorted by firm and soft flesh types and size and therefore by cooking time. First, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and fennel are slowly sautéed in mostly plenty of olive oil. Carrots are also sometimes used. Seasoning is done with table salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, a piece of orange peel and occasionally cloves. Potato slices are often added to improve the binding, which are later used as a side dish.

When the onions and fennel are cooked, saffron and orange peel are added and the mixture is deglazed with white wine, pastis or vermouth. Then the fish and seafood with the longest cooking time are added. These are then covered with plenty of already heated water or, better yet, fish stock. Then the remaining fish and seafood are added one after the other, depending on the cooking time. The firm fish is cooked with the fish, the soft fish such as John Dory, red mullet or whiting is added later and everything is cooked until it is done.

Soup and fish are often served separately in fine cuisine.

Fish, seafood and, if necessary, potato slices are arranged on a preheated plate to serve.

The soup is then strained and then poured into plates lined with slices of white bread.

We were offered a bread called Marette, which is special but typical in Marseille, as a side dish.

Auguste Escoffier says: “In Marseille, long, slender white bread called Marette is used for the bread slices and is best suited for this purpose; it must be fresh. For this dish, the bread slices should not be toasted, fried or baked.”

In other versions, the slices of white bread laid out in the soup plate are toasted in the oven, similar to the croutons that are also known here.

Fish and soup are usually served separately in restaurants: the soup first, then the fish and seafood; but sometimes the chosen fish are skimmed off with the bouillabaisse.

Baguette and rouille, a spicy garlic sauce similar to mayonnaise, are also served.

There are many regional variations within the city limits of Marseille, including the "black" bouillabaisse, in which squid is cooked with its ink, which is a speciality from Martigues. The Larousse Gastronomique lists other variations such as serving with toast rubbed with garlic, with rouille, parmesan, dried tomatoes or a rocket salad. Local variations include using sardines and stockfish.