"national bouillabaisse day" news and stories

Happy National Bouillabaisse Day!

Dubbed the Prince of Gastronomy for his 20th century culinary writings, Curnonsky commended bouillabaisse as "an incomparable golden soup which embodies and concentrates all the aromas of our shores, and which permeates, like an ecstasy, the stomachs of astonished gastronomes... The miracle consists of this: There are as many bouillabaisses as there are good chefs or cordon bleus. Each brings his own version his special touch."

Once the humble fare of local French fisherman, who would stretch their extra catch with a nourishing stew, bouillabaisse has long been on menus stateside, using a variety of local fish and shellfish depending on local availability. The traditional seafood stew from Provence would use whatever fresh catch was in abundance, typically a combination of at least four types of fish and shellfish, creating a hearty broth with white wine, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, onions, saffron and other herbs.

For a classic rendition, we recommend Julia Child's bouillabaisse, to be served with fresh French bread and rouille.

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Happy National Bouillabaisse Day!

For those unfamiliar with the complex dish, it's a highly seasoned stew built upon the use of multiple types of fish and shellfish. According to lore, hearty bouillabaisse was once served by Venus to her husband, to tire him out so she could freely consort with Mars. Although the dish originated as simple fisherman's stew, with the day's catch boiled in salt water, today's Provincial bouillabaisse is know for its delicate flavor palate, including saffron, fennel seeds and orange zest. Its name is derived from French words indicating the dish's necessity of boiling to extract plenty of flavor from its contents.

Here, Flickr user Schatzibot captured the Petite Bouillabaisse with Green Garlic Aïoli, Washington Mussels, and Trout Roe from Portland restaurant Beast, writing, "We thought it was a heavenly soup course, the creamy aïoli perfectly balancing the salt of the bouillabaisse."

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured on the site.