Chicken Bouillabaisse

One of the great culinary memories of my youth is when I first tasted bouillabaisse. My father had taken me to a small bistro called a bouchon in Lyon, where the chef/owner was known for his fish dishes. Bouillabaisse is a famous fish stew from Marseille in the South of France, made with many different types of rockfish like red mullet, scorpion fish, and especially rascasse (hogfish) and sometimes langouste (spiny lobster). The stew is flavored with saffron, garlic, onion, tomato, fennel, thyme, white wine and Pernod. It is served with a rouille sauce — a mayonnaise loaded with garlic and flavored with the broth from the fish stew, which lends the finished product a deep reddish color. A few years ago, I decided to make a bouillabaisse de volaille. In my recipe, I replace the fish and shellfish with chicken and sausage but keep the same flavoring ingredients. I first marinate the chicken pieces with olive oil, saffron, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, herbes de Provence, and salt and pepper. When it is time to cook, I cover the mixture with white wine, tomato, hot sausage, and potatoes, and let it simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, the rouille is made in a food processor by emulsifying egg yolks, garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and some liquid and a potato from the stew. The mixture is finished with a generous addition of the best-quality olive oil available, which creates an unctuous sauce, full of flavor. It’s a different, delectable spin on a classic and yet another delicious way of enjoying chicken.

1935

Born in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, a small village near Lyon. After World War II, his parents open the restaurant Le Pélican, where his love of cooking starts.

1948

Leaves home at 13 to start an apprenticeship at nearby Grand Hôtel de l’Europe. Three years later, goes on to work in Paris, including Plaza Athénée.

1956

Serves in the French military, where he’s recognized for his culinary training, eventually becoming the personal chef to President Charles de Gaulle.