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The famous soup of Marseilles comprises a blend of French and South African cuisines. Traditionally, bouillabaisse is made using at least twelve different types of seafood. It is usually made with whole fish, such as rascasse, and is accompanied by a rouille sauce and bread.

Ingredients for the rouille sauce

• 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 slice of white bread, with the crust removed
• 1/3 tsp. chilli powder
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 egg yolk
• 80ml olive oil

Ingredients for the soup (serves 10)

• 20 mussels
• 1.5kg fish fillets, cut into pieces of about 3-4cm
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium fennel, peeled and cut into thin slices
• 1 chopped onion
• 750gr. ripe tomatoes, grated
• 1.25 litres fish stock
• 1-2 saffron threads
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 piece of orange rind, 5cm thick
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

For the rouille sauce
Mix the red pepper, chilli, bread, garlic and egg yolk in the blender. Gradually add the olive oil and blend until the sauce thickens. Cover and place in the fridge. 

For the soup
Throw away any mussels that are already open and clean the rest. In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat, adding the fennel and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the ingredients start to brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the stock, saffron, bay leaves and orange rind, and boil for around 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and orange, and blend the soup until smooth. Place the mixture into a clean pot, add salt and pepper and heat for around 5 minutes, until it starts to boil. Add the fish and mussels and cook for 5 minutes or until the fish softens. Throw away any mussels that do not open. The soup is ready. Enjoy!

Nutritional breakdown per serving:

302.6 calories
17g fat
93 mg cholesterol
5 g of carbohydrates
29 g proteins
1.4 g of fiber