Fish Soup Provençale

This fish soup Provençale was heavenly! The seafood was perfectly tender and juicy, and the creamy broth complemented the seafood beautifully. In fact, the cream broth is what made this dish differ from the traditional bouillabaisse. 

Soup Provençale in local Cannes restaurant

Originating from France's port-city of Marseille, Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew prepared with at least 5 different types of fish and seafood. The traditional bouillabaisse is prepared in a much lighter, tomato and herb infused broth with no added cream. The soup is served with slices of toasted baguette (or croutons) and rouille, a thick, savoury sauce resembling the texture and colour of mustard. The rouille consists of a blend of egg yolk, garlic, olive oil, saffron and some cayenne pepper, where the cayenne pepper adds the much-needed 'kick' to the overall dish.

Although the traditional bouillabaisse does not include cream,  there exist several variations of the "traditional bouillabaisse" because the dish is prepared differently between the different regions of France. Often, this has to do with the types of fresh fish and local ingredients available in the particular region.  In any case,  whatever fish used, it must be fresh! 

I am a strong believer in experimenting, and I think the addition of cream to the fish soup Provençale is an incredible decision!  You can never go wrong with adding cream! 

Cheers to yet another delicious meal...

Bon appetit à tous!