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Easy French seafood stew with shrimp, mussels, clams and halibut.
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5 from 12 votes

Simple Bouillabaisse (French Seafood Stew)

This simple bouillabaisse recipe is a French seafood stew that is made in under an hour! The seafood simmers with tomatoes, saffron and herbs creating an irresistible recipe.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: French, Mediterranean
Keyword: easy bouillabaisse recipe, Julia Child bouillabaisse, Julia Child seafood stew, seafood stew, simple bouillabaisse recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 366kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 leek thinly sliced and washed well
  • 1 small fennel sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 large tomatoes chopped
  • 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • 1 large piece of orange peel
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups seafood stock
  • 1 pound halibut cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 pound clams and/or mussels cleaned and scrubbed well
  • ½ pound scallops about 6-8 scallops
  • ½ pound medium sized shrimp
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper
  • Chopped parsley leaves, finely chopped for garnish

Instructions

  • Bring a large wide Dutch oven to medium heat and add olive oil and butter.
  • Once melted, add the sliced leeks and fennel and sauté until softened and fragrant, but not browned. about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another minute. Stir the tomato paste into the garlic for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, with their juices along with the saffron, and give everything a good sauté for another 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices.
  • Pour the seafood stock in and nestle in the fresh thyme, bay leaf and orange peel. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • While simmering, add the fish that take longer to cook, the halibut and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  • Next, add the mussels and clams and and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Then add scallops and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes and finally, add the shrimp and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are just cooked through. At this point, the fish should be cooked through and mussels and clams just opened.
  • Remove the bouillabaisse from heat and taste broth for seasoning.
  • Ladle the bouillabaisse into bowls with assorted fish and garnish with chopped parsley

Notes

    • Not all seafood cooks at the same time. Add the thicker pieces first, then gradually add the more delicate seafood, such as shrimp and scallops towards the end.
    • Scrub clams and mussels with a seafood scrubber or something similar.
    • Thicker fillets of halibut and salmon should simmer for 10-12 minutes at the most.
    • Keep the seafood on ice and in the refrigerator until ready to use.
    • Cook fresh seafood within 24 hours of buying.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1478mg | Potassium: 1363mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1448IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 3mg