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From the history of bouillabaisse soup
Leafing through glossy fashion magazines, many probably drew attention to the name that is slightly unusual for our ears - bouillabaisse soup, the classic recipe of which is not easy to withstand, but it’s insanely tasty as a result! However, having learned the price of this dish in restaurants in France, many history experts will be surprised, because initially this dish was considered the cheapest food intended for the poor.
You will be surprised to learn how this soup appeared as a first course! There were no expensive restaurants or very rich people on the Mediterranean coast of France, where thousands of fishermen earned their living by catching and selling fish. Therefore, sellers could not afford to throw away in the evening those leftovers of fish that were not sold during the day - so they came up with the idea of cooking nutritious soup from them.
With the development of tourism in these areas, the restaurant business began to develop, the main persons of which - the famous chefs of Marseille - did not mind saving, making a simple, but at the same time extremely tasty, and therefore - a popular dish. This is how the famous French bouillabaisse soup appeared - the first dish made from lobsters and other expensive seafood. And since it’s not worth to dispute the benefits of using soups - the first dishes are really useful and even necessary - we suggest you learn how to cook such a dish yourself, because in some restaurants in Provence you will be asked up to 200 euros for a portion of such a treat.
The nuances of cooking bouillabaisse soup
There are two main recipes for bouillabaisse: Marseille and Norman. They have one significant difference: Marseille is prepared exclusively from seafood, while potatoes are added to the Norman one without fail.True connoisseurs of this dish advise you not to go to the restaurant after it immediately after opening: in order to cook bouillabaisse by all the rules, it takes at least five hours!
It is important to understand that the classic recipe involves the use of strictly defined ingredients and does not allow any substitution! However, the recipes that are offered to our hostesses are often adapted, because Marseille bouillabaisse requires the use of these types of seafood:
- Gurnard
- Sea scorpion
- Sunflower
These are the main components, in addition to which 7 to 10 types of fish and seafood are added, with the clarification that the greater the variety, the tastier the bouillabaisse fish soup will turn out. At home, use available species of marine animals, but not less than 4-5 varieties.
Bouillabaisse cooking sequence
Initially, the broth is cooked, which can be prepared either from small, cheap fish, or from the tails and heads of the main components of the soup. Then the broth is filtered, the used fish is no longer needed.
During the preparation of the broth, take care of the main component of the real bouillabaisse - the “garni bouquet”: chop the orange peel in large pieces, take a few leaves of laurel, 7-8 peas of black allspice, saffron, basil and thyme to taste. If you plan to cook bouillabaisse often, sew a special bag of thin cloth for spices, and at once it will come down with ordinary gauze, into which all this needs to be folded and well tied.
Grind two large heads of onions and a head of garlic, fry them in a thick-walled pan in vegetable oil. Add three large chopped fresh tomatoes, a glass of white wine, and after a couple of minutes - pour the strained broth and put a “garni bouquet”. Leave to stand without fire.
Now is the time to put the coarsely chopped fish and potatoes if you follow the Norman recipe. Do not make expensive exotic recipe from bouillabaisse - use available products. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and after 20 minutes add sea trifle - mussels, squid, shrimp. After five minutes, turn off the fire, take out the bag of spices - and the soup is ready. Serve it with white crackers, which should be quite a lot.
