Easy bouillabaisse

Preparation – 40 minutes

tip: using fish stock instead of fish bones, like in the classic bouillabaisse makes this an easy version of a bouillabaisse. It is of course as delicious as a classic version! 

Peel and chop up the onion, garlic, fennel bulb, celery stalks, celery root, carrot and leek. Add them all to a colander and rinse them with cold water to get rid of any sand.

Heat about a tablespoon of butter in a large pan and saute the chopped veggies on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and saute a few minutes more.

Pour in the white wine and let it cook for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half. Pour in the canned tomatoes, fish stock, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a boil and close the lid. Let it simmer on low heat for at least half an hour.

Now you can choose to strain the soup immediately to get rid of the vegetables or wait a bit longer so the taste of the veggies will get absorbed some more into the liquid. You can also refrigerate overnight if you like, but that's not necessary.

If you bought prawns that still have their intestinal tract, you have to get rid of them. The easiest way to do this, is by cutting lengthwise over the shrimp with a sharp paring knife and then remove the intestinal tract with the tip of your paring knife.  

Finishing the easy bouillabaisse – 10 minutes

After you've strained the soup, add in the fish pieces and prawns. Bring the soup to a boil and season with pepper and salt.

Check if the pieces of fish and prawns are done and then serve the soup, make sure there are 2 prawns in every bowl. Equally, divide the pieces of fish to be fair for everyone.