Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provencal fish soup originating in the port city of Marseille, its name a compound of the Provencal verbs bouillir, to boil, and baisser, to reduce heat or simmer. It was originally made by Marseille fishermen using bony rockfish they could not sell to restaurants or markets, with at least three kinds of fish in a traditional version, typically red rascasse, sea robin, and European conger, sometimes joined by gilt-head bream, turbot, monkfish, mullet or European hake, along with shellfish such as sea urchins, mussels, velvet crabs, spider crabs or octopus, and vegetables such as leeks, onions, tomatoes, celery and potatoes simmered together with the broth; the broth is traditionally served with rouille, a mayonnaise of olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper, on grilled bread, with the distinguishing features being its Provencal herbs and spices, its bony local Mediterranean fish added one at a time and brought to a boil, and its distinctive method of serving.