Julia Child's Classic French Bouillabaisse

Name: Julia Child's Classic French Bouillabaisse
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup chopped onion; 1 cup chopped leek; 4 cloves smashed garlic; 2 or 3 large (ripe tomatoes, chopped or 2 cups canned chopped tomatoes); 2 ½ quarts water; Fresh herb sprigs: thyme (parsley, fennel fronds and basil (in any combination)); 1 2-inch wide strip of fresh orange peel (optional); ½ teaspoon crumbled saffron; 1 tablespoon sea salt; 3-4 pounds fish heads (bones, trimmings, shrimp shells); 1 pound peeled shrimp (save the shells for the stock); 1 pound cod, halibut or other flaky white fish (cut into large chunks); 1 pound mussels or clams (scrubbed and mussels debearded); Crusty bread (sliced, for serving); 2 roasted and peeled red bell peppers ((jarred peppers are fine)); ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or more to taste); 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 peeled garlic clove; ¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs (or ground almonds); ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves; Fine sea salt (about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste); ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Prep:25minCook:40min

A simple recipe for Julia Child's bouillabaisse, the classic French seafood soup. The delicious soup with a simple rouille is full of shellfish, seafood, tomatoes and fragrant seasonings and can be made in less than an hour.

Updated at: Sat, 13 Dec 2025 08:29:06 GMT