French Fish Stew (Bouillabaisse-Style)
⏱ 15 min prep · 🍳 40 min · 🍽 4
French fish stew belongs on a slow Sunday, not a Tuesday scramble. With shrimp, cod and salmon simmering together for a good hour, this is a pot you put on once the week has actually quieted down and someone has time to stand at the stove while it works.
Fennel, chili and a splash of white wine vinegar give it its French lean — a bouillabaisse built from whatever looks best at the fish counter on a Friday afternoon. The broth draws flavor from the vegetables while the potatoes soften, and the fish goes in right at the end so it never overcooks or turns rubbery.
Serve it straight from the pot with crusty bread and aioli on the side, so everyone helps themselves. The youngest can skip the shrimp and pile on extra potato and salmon, while the rest of the table gets the full, brothy stew.
Ingredients
- 500.000 g reker
- 500.000 g torskeloin
- 500.000 g laksefilet (Frøya)
- 1.000 stk løk
- 2.000 fedd hvitløk
- 1.000 stk fennikel
- 3.000 stk gulrot
- 1.000 stk rød chili
- 500.000 g poteter
- 3.000 ss god olivenolje
- 1.000 ss hvitvinseddik eller hvitvin
- 1.000 boks hermetiske tomater
- 1.000 ss hvetemel
- 1.000 l fiskekraft eller fiskebuljon
- 1.000 bunt fersk dill
- 1.000 ts salt
- 1.000 ts sukker
Instructions
Varm olivenolje i en stor kjele og sauter terninget løk, gulrot, fennikel, chili, hvitløk og selleri i 5–10 minutter til de er myknet.
Tilsett eddik eller vin og reduser til nesten fordampet. Rør inn mel som jevner.
Hell i fiskekraft og hermetiske tomater. Tilsett terningede poteter og halvparten av dillen. Smak til med salt og sukker. Dekk til og kok i 20–30 minutter til potetene er møre.
Forbered fiskebiter (ca. 2 cm terninger) og skrell reker.
Ta kjelen av varmen, tilsett torsk og laks med resten av dillen. La trekke i 5 minutter. Tilsett reker ved servering. Smak til med salt og sitron.
Server med brød og aioli.
French fish stew is one of those recipes where kids sort their own plate without being asked — shrimp pushed to the side, fennel nudged away, while the potato and salmon quietly disappear. It is not a dish you rush between school pickup and bedtime; the broth needs its hour, and the fish only goes in at the very last minute. Put it on the meal plan for a day with real slack in the calendar, a Sunday dinner rather than a Wednesday squeeze. Leftovers reheat gently for Monday lunch, but if you want to keep it longer, freeze the broth and potatoes on their own and add fresh fish and shrimp only when you warm it back up.
FAQ
Can I freeze French fish stew?
The fish itself freezes better than the potatoes, which tend to turn grainy after thawing. Freeze the broth with the vegetables and potatoes on their own, then add fresh fish and shrimp only when you reheat it. That way you never end up tossing a batch just because you made more than the family ate in one sitting.
Can I use a different fish instead of cod and salmon?
Any firm white fish or a second salmon-family fish works fine, as long as it holds together in the simmering broth instead of flaking apart. Buy whatever looks freshest and best priced at the fish counter that day — in this stew, the quality of what you buy matters more than following the recipe to the gram. Shrimp can also be swapped for mussels if that's what you have on hand.
My kids won't eat shrimp or fennel. How do I adapt the recipe?
Set the shrimp aside in a separate dish and let everyone add their own at the table, so you're not leaving them out for the whole family. Fennel mellows a lot after 20 to 30 minutes of simmering, but if the kids still notice it, halve the amount and add a bit of extra carrot for sweetness instead. The chili is easy to leave out of the pot entirely and serve as chili flakes on the side for the adults.
How long does the stew keep in the fridge?
French fish stew keeps for about two days in a sealed container in the fridge, since it contains both fresh fish and shrimp. Reheat it gently over low heat so the fish doesn't turn rubbery, and avoid bringing it back to a hard boil. If you want it to last longer than that, it's better to freeze the broth and vegetables as described above than to push the fridge time further.
Can I plan this into the week ahead of time?
Put it on a day you already know you'll have time to stand at the stove — a Sunday, or a Friday evening with nothing else on the calendar. Buy the fish the same day or the day before for the best quality, and add shrimp, cod, salmon, fennel and fish stock to the shopping list together so you're not trying to remember it all at the counter. Onion, garlic, carrot and chili can all be chopped the night before to save time on the day itself.
What should I serve it with, and can I make it more filling?
Good crusty bread and aioli are the classic pairing, and together they make the stew filling enough for a weekend dinner without much else on the table. If you want to stretch it further or make it heartier, double the potatoes or serve it alongside a bowl of steamed rice. A simple green salad with lemon dressing gives a fresh contrast to the rich, brothy stew.