Oui! It’s National Bouillabaisse Day!

Happy National Bouillabaisse Day! Now say that three times fast. If you can’t, it’s okay — you can still have fun and enjoy this classic French seafood stew on December 14th. This rich, flavorful, and comforting dish sure hits the spot on cold winter’s day.

Bouillabaisse tops the list of must-have cuisine while visiting France, but if you can’t justify a trip to France just to have some fish stew, you’ll need to try and make your own – or find a top notch French restaurant in your neighborhood.

In the culinary world, strong opinions bounce around about the proper ingredients for an authentic bouillabaisse. Those opinions include the type of fish. Typically French cooks might use any of the following: bony rockfish, red rascasse, sea robin, or European conger. Some have even used eel. Chefs often also debate the type of wine (red or white).

They even argue about the soup’s origins. It has been traced all the way back to ancient Greece, and rumors abound that a Greek Goddess created it. Or does the credit belong to coastal fishermen in Marseilles who threw the ingredients together from unsold bony rockfish? Perhaps these spicy debates add a little flavor to the stew, too. Your guess is as good as ours.

Regardless, cooks use a variety of fresh fish as their first step to a delicious bouillabaisse. In an updated “classic” American version, you’ll want to find a nice firm white fish (like sea bass or barramundi) to use alongside some tasty shellfish (like shrimp and mussels) To this, you’ll add a rich tomato and wine broth, but many say that what makes this stew unique are its herbs and spices like saffron, fennel seed and orange zest. Finally, a traditional Bouillabaisse is served with a toasted baguette and “rouille,” which essentially is a garlic pepper mayo.

If you’re up to the task, here is a recipe from the Food Network.

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