This dish is a specialty of the South of France, but living or visiting on the coast of Georgia you are quite likely to see it offered on menus. I hope you enjoy The Lady & Sons’ version of this wonderful French dish. Feel free to add any of your favorite shellfish to the pot.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8

　　2 pounds mussels

　　2 cups water

　　2 pounds firm fresh fish fillets such as grouper or striped bass (ask your local fishmonger for additional suggestions)

　　3/4 cup olive oil

　　1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

　　1 1/2 cups chopped onions

　　5 Roma tomatoes, peeled and sliced, or 2 cups canned Italian tomatoes

　　2 teaspoons fennel seed

　　1/4 teaspoon saffron

　　1 tablespoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

　　5 cups boiling water

　　One 8-ounce bottle clam juice

　　4 whole crabs, cut in half

　　1 pound unpeeled shrimp

　　1 loaf French bread

　　Butter

　　

Step 1

Wash and scrub the mussels in cold water. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large, heavy pot. Add the mussels and cover the pot. Steam for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that didn’t open. Remove from the heat and set aside. Cut the fish into 1-inch thick slices. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, fennel, saffron, salt, and pepper. Add the boiling water and clam juice. Bring to a rolling boil, add the crabs and fish, and continue to boil for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the mussels and their broth to the pot along with the shrimp, and boil for an additional 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Slice the French bread, butter it, and toast lightly. Serve the bouillabaisse in large individual bowls lined with toasted French bread; pile in the seafood and ladle the broth over it. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of butter. Pass the remaining bread at the table. If you like a spicier soup you may add a couple of whole hot peppers to the pot at the start of cooking.

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.