Make Fish Soup of Marseille with fish bones, Mediterranean aromatics, fennel and saffron. Learn the difference between soupe de poisson and bouillabaisse, plus straining and service.
To start: the chopped fish heads under cold running water until the water becomes clear. This should take about 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare and dice all vegetables in quarter-inch cubes. Strain fish heads in a colander.
Cook the soup: Place a large on medium heat, add olive oil and fish heads. Cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add wine and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped vegetables, quartered orange and zest, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, crushed tomato, tomato paste, saffron, salt, pepper, chili, and water. Mix well and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 3 hours on medium-low heat, stirring from time-to-time making sure that nothing sticks to the bottom.
the soup: Pass the fish soup through a vegetable mill to maximum flavors, and discard bones. Cool the soup and refrigerate overnight. Before boiling the soup again, quarter-inch excess fat on the top. When the soup is hot, taste and more seasoning if desired.
Serve with crostini, grated Gruyere and Provençal Rouille sauce.
This recipe connects to Seafood Soups Mastery — learn the technique step by step in the video lessons.
The secret to a silky soup like this one is patience at the blending stage — take your time and pass it through a fine sieve if you want a truly professional finish. If you'd like to go deeper, Seafood Soups Mastery covers this in full.
If you'd ever like hands-on guidance for your own kitchen or restaurant, I also offer 1-on-1 coaching through OCS, or you can reach me directly for consulting at 911ChefEric.com.
Recipes come out right when you understand the method. Chef Eric’s courses teach the foundations step by step — knife skills, stocks, soups and classic French technique — with video lessons and short quizzes. Not sure where to start? OCRS™ will build your roadmap in five questions.
