Mediterranean Diet Friendly Saffron Seafood Bouillabaisse

Total time1 hr 10 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time45 min

Mediterranean Diet Friendly Saffron Seafood Bouillabaisse

This saffron-scented seafood stew simmers fennel and onion in olive oil until silky, then builds a deeply flavorful broth with garlic, turmeric, diced tomatoes, and a good pinch of saffron threads. Chunks of Yukon Gold potato soak up all that flavor while the broth reduces to a rich, golden base, and a splash of fresh lemon juice at the end keeps everything bright. Firm white fish, shrimp, and mussels go in at the very last minutes of cooking, so each stays tender and just barely cooked through rather than rubbery. Finished with a scatter of fresh parsley and fennel fronds and a lemon wedge on the side, it's the kind of brothy, olive-oil-forward seafood dish that fits naturally into a Mediterranean way of eating. Serve it in wide bowls with crusty bread for soaking up every last bit of broth — it's a satisfying, produce-and-seafood-driven main that delivers big flavor without much fuss.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the broth base

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Private Selection Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bertolli Extra Virgin D'Italiia Olive Oil 16.9oz
Extra Virgin Olive Oil FIELD DAY OLIVE OIL EXTRA VIRGIN Olitalia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, fronds reserved
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
½ tsp saffron threads, crumbled
4 cups seafood stock or fish stock
1 cup water
2 medium yukon gold potatoes (about 12 oz total), cut into ¾-inch chunks
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme

For the seafood

1 lb firm white fish fillets (such as cod, halibut, or sea bass), cut into 2-inch pieces
½ lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For serving

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
reserved fennel fronds, roughly chopped (optional)
lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sliced fennel and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
2
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute — watch closely so the garlic does not brown.

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