French Bouillabaisse

In a large, wide pot (at least 6L), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, and garlic. Sweat for 10 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, orange peel, and bouquet garni. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and the mixture is thick and fragrant. The oil should be visibly separated and shimmering at the edges.

Pour in the fish stock, saffron water, and pastis. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a vigorous full rolling boil over high heat — the boil must be violent, not gentle. The aggressive boiling is what emulsifies the olive oil into the broth, turning it from a clear stock into the signature opaque, golden-orange broth of bouillabaisse. Boil hard for 20 minutes.

Reduce the boil to a vigorous simmer. Add the firm fish first (monkfish, conger, rascasse) and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tender fish next (mullet, whiting) and cook for 3–4 minutes more. Shellfish, if using, go in last minute. The fish should be just cooked through — opaque and just beginning to flake, not falling apart. Remove the bouquet garni. Do not stir — use a spoon to baste the fish with the broth instead.

Ladle the golden broth into large, warmed bowls. Arrange the fish pieces on top. Float the grilled croutons on the broth and spread each with a generous dollop of rouille. The rouille will dissolve slightly into the hot broth as it's eaten, enriching it further. Serve immediately with extra rouille and croutons on the side.