The Basics of Bouillabaisse

• Bouillabaisse is so revered in France that local restaurateurs must follow strict rules to claim that they serve authentic bouillabaisse. The sanctioned version contains at least four specific types of regional fish, including conger eel, John Dory and monkfish. It also includes vegetables, and it's served over toast and a homemade paste known as rouille. Some chefs cook and serve the components separately. At its most basic, however, vegetables and fish are cooked in a saffron-laced broth, then ladled over toasted bread spread with the rouille.

A Dairy-Free Doppelganger

• It's the rollie that gives bouillabaisse its rich, thick quality, leading many diners to suspect the stew contains cream. Different versions of the garlicky, red paste recipe exist. A typical version starts by whipping up a homemade mayonnaise of egg yolks, olive oil, mustard and lemon. The mayonnaise is then blended with fish stock, saffron, cayenne, paprika and several minced cloves of garlic. Some versions also call for breadcrumbs. Rouille can be made up to one day ahead of time, if kept in the refrigerator.

Some Assembly Required

• To serve bouillabaisse in the true French style, start by slicing and toasting baguette loaves. When the slices become crisp, remove them from the oven and spread them with your homemade rouille. Traditionally, cooks strain the bouillabaisse of its vegetables and seafood, then ladle the flavorful broth over the rouille-spread pieces of toast. A second course is then served that consists of the strained fish and vegetables, over which goes broth and a dab of rouille. You can simplify serving, however, by ladling fish and vegetables over the rouille toast, then topping it all with the broth.

Creams of the Crop

• Other well-known "creamy" seafood soups actually do contain cream. Norwegian bergen stew is similar to bouillabaisse in that it typically mixes two or more types of seafood, but it contains both whipping cream and sour cream. Seafood bisques, which are of French origin, feature crab or lobster meat pureed with cream and sherry. Chunkier than bisque, New England clam chowder gets its thickness from cream, flour and butter and potatoes. Other seafood cream soups include the Scottish cullen skink, which features smoked haddock.