Fish Stew. Something that you almost never see on any restaurant menu and it is rarely if ever served at anyone’s dining table. I learned to make Bouillabaisse when I was in my late twenties and perfected it by thirty. No one in my family likes it and therefore I do not make it often since I am only preparing this luscious soup for myself. Bouillabaisse is a delicious traditional French fish stew that was originally created in the port city of Marseille. The word “bouillabaisse” comes from the Provençal word bolhabaissa. The root word within bolhabaissa reveals the two main steps in creating the stew. The Provençal words bolhir and albaissar mean “to boil” and “to reduce,” respectively.

Bouillabaisse is an aromatic stew made with a fish base and a variety of fish and shellfish, unless you are limited in funds like I was and just used scraps of fish I had in the freezer. In classic bouillabaisse, nearly a dozen kinds of fish are cooked into the stew. The most common fish in bouillabaisse are monkfish, mullet, and conger. Of course, many other kinds of fish can be incorporated, preferably firm flesh fish. Bouillabaisse gains rich flavor from vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, leeks, and celery, which are boiled and added to the stew. But it is the blend of herbs and spices that gives bouillabaisse its wonderful aromatic quality. Garlic, bay leaf, savory, fennel, orange peel, turmeric, and saffron, all compliment the flavors in bouillabaisse making a rich stock bursting with flavor.

I am always looking for ways to prepare economical meals and preparing this dish is not only easy, but affordable. I know it calls for all those expensive, and to some degree uncommon types of fish, but I used cod, talapia (I know it’s not firm, but I tossed it in anyway), halibut, shrimp and clams (canned) hey, they were in the pantry, and had been there a while. The vegetables I choose to use were onions, sweet red peppers, celery, one garlic clove, green onions, and a can of stewed tomatoes (Delmonte no-salt), one red potato and 1/2 cup left over corn (don’t ask) and a quart of low-sodium chicken stock. I would have boiled the fish bones and make a fish stock, if I had fish bones, oh well.

I am a big believer in caramelizing my onions, (you know sauteing them until they’re golden) so I did, tossed in everything else with the stock, fish and slow simmered for about 45 minutes to an hour. The Bouillabaisse was absolutely wonderful. Full bodied, silky, flavorful and just wonderful. So the next time you’re cleaning out the freezer and you see scraps of fish, shrimp and other things from the sea, think Bouillabaisse, you’ll be glad you did.