Choosing Seafood for Bouillabaisse
We've found that the best bouillabaisse is made from a combination of three groups of seafood.
We've found that the best bouillabaisse is made from a combination of three groups of seafood.
The fun of bouillabaise is that one mouthful can contain buttery flakes of ocean perch, the bite of monkfish, the chew of a little mollusk, and the slippery firmness of shrimp. A tasting determined that a combination of three groups of seafood was best: firm-fleshed fish, flaky fish, and shellfish. Three fish and three shellfish make a great combination--or go with four fish and two shellfish if you prefer. Doubtless many freshwater fish would work well in a bouillabaisse recipe, but we limited our testing to saltwater fish in the interest of time.
RECOMMENDED
For best results choose at least one fish from each category:
Firm
Chilean Sea Bass
grouper
haddock
halibut
John Dory
monkfish
striped bass
tilapia
Flaky
hake
ocean perch
red snapper
Thai snapper
Shellfish
mussels
sea scallops
shrimp
NOT RECOMMENDED
Too Oily:
bluefish
mackerel
salmon
Incompatible Cooking Rates
clams
cod
sole
Too Meaty
mahi-mahi
swordfish
tuna