AgeRight Blog

Soups & Sandwiches

Traditional Bouillabaisse

This recipe won Chef Randall Sherman, Director of Dining Experience at Cape Cod Senior Residences, the Appeal and Taste at the 2025 Top Chef Cook-Off! Enjoy a taste of France with this delicious traditional dish.

Ingredients

Broth

  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 large Onion, sliced
  • 2 Leeks (white parts), sliced
  • 2 Celery Stalks, chopped
  • 1 Fennel Bulb, sliced
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
  • 3 Tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup Crushed Tomatoes)
  • 1 strip Orange Peel
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 sprig of Thyme
  • 1/4 tsp Saffron Threads
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • Salt + Pepper
  • 1 cup Dry White Wine
  • 6 cups Seafood Stock

Rouille (spicy garlic-saffron mayo)

  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 2–3 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 pinch Saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp Cayenne or Espelette Pepper
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil

Seafood (Use what you have locally):

  • 1 lb firm white fish (such as cod, monkfish, halibut, snapper), cut into cubes
  • 1 lb shellfish (such as mussels, clams, shrimp)
  • Optional: 1 small crab or lobster pieces

For serving

  • Crusty toasted baguette slices

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot. Add onion, leeks, celery, and fennel. Cook 8 – 10 minutes until soft.
  2. Add garlic, tomatoes, paprika, fennel seeds, thyme, bay leaf, orange peel. Cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add white wine and simmer until reduced by half.
  4. Add fish stock then saffron, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
  5. (Optional) If you prefer a thicker soup, use an immersion blender to blend vegetables into the broth then strain for a smoother, richer broth.
  6. Add fish chunks first; simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. Add shellfish; cook until mussels/clams open and shrimp turn pink, 3–5 minutes.
  8. In a separate medium bowl whisk together all ingredients for Rouille until thick and spreadable, drizzling in the olive oil slowly.
  9. Ladle soup and seafood into wide bowls. Serve with toasted baguette slices topped with rouille and pour broth generously over the bread.

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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