Bouillabaisse is a famous fish soup from Marseilles in Provence. Various types are found all round the Mediterranean coast, but all should contain rascasse, weaver and probably conger eel and gurnard. It is at its best when a large variety of fish are included and these could be any white fish from sea bass to John Dory, as long as some deep water fish are among them. These are often the ugliest but add wonderful flavour to soups. It also often contains mussels, langouste or crab and the liquor will come from a combination of fish stock, maybe some Cognac and olive oil and tomatoes. It will, unlike other fish soups, contain saffron. When cooking, it should be brought rapidly to boil and then boiled fiercely for about 15 minutes, after which it is served poured over slices of bread or toast, often with aïoli.
