Bouillabaisse is a rich, traditional seafood stew from the south of France. It always contains garlic, saffron, and, of course, seafood. It’s almost always served with a garlic-and-mayonnaise concoction called rouille spread on grilled bread. In order to save time, this version calls for prepared clam juice, mussels, and boneless fish fillets (in the traditional version, usually several types of small flavorful fish are sautéed in olive oil and simmered for some time). The clam juice and mussels are very flavorful. In order to save on fat and calories, there’s no added olive oil—and I omitted the rouille and grilled bread altogether. This version is quite delicious as is and goes together quickly, so it’s fine for a weeknight meal.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and sliced thin

　　4 garlic cloves, minced

　　1/2 cup dry white wine

　　1 teaspoon saffron threads

　　1 1/4 cups bottled sea clam juice

　　2 cups Rocco’s How Low Can You Go Low-Fat Marinara Sauce (page 206) or store-bought low-fat marinara sauce

　　12 ounces firm white fish (such as wild striped bass or red snapper), cut into 1-inch chunks

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 pound mussels, beards removed, shells scrubbed and rinsed

　　

Step 1

In a large sauté pan over high heat, bring the fennel, garlic, white wine, saffron, sea clam juice, and marinara sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the fennel is tender, about 7 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste. Add the fish and mussels to the pan. Raise the heat to high, cover, and simmer until the fish is just cooked through and the mussels have opened, about 8 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Season with salt and pepper to taste, ladle into bowls, and serve.

　　

healthy tips

Step 4

Garlic is an awesome flavor enhancer, and virtually calorie-free. To save time, buy peeled garlic cloves and store them in water in the refrigerator to avoid oxidization.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 27g (before), 3.7g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 904 (before), 226 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 25g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 17g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 49mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 3g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 968mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.