Bouillabaisse is the iconic fish stew of Marseilles, France’s legendary port city and home to fishermen for centuries.

The origins of the stew are humble, thought to have first been made by fishermen with the unsold leftovers from the day’s catch, seasoned with wild herbs, cooked in kettles of sea water over wood fires.

Over time, the stew evolved to an unctuous base made of rockfish, herbs, potatoes and tomatoes combined with fish stock, ground with a food mill and strained. To my thinking, this is the best part of the dish. It is complex and deeply flavored without being overwhelming. In the traditional way, this base, essentially soupe de poisson, is served as a first course with grilled bread and rouille, a spicy garlic-and-red pepper version of aioli.

The fish and shellfish are poa

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