Chicken Bouillabaisse (in the slow cooker)

Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. The French and English form bouillabaisse comes from the Provençal Occitan word bolhabaissa, a compound that consists of the two verbs bolhir (to boil) and abaissar (to reduce heat, i.e., simmer). (Thanks Wikipedia)

If you are pressed for time you could skip the onions step and throw everything into your slow cooker. Come back from your day and it will smell amazing and be ready to serve!

What to buy:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup spicy V8 tomato juice (or a cup of fresh or canned tomatoes)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2, 3 inch strips of orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

What to do:

• heat olive oil on medium-high in a skillet
• add onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes
• add wine and bring to a simmer
• pour mixture into slow cooker
• stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, saffron, fennel, cayenne, thyme and orange zest
• sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place into slow cooker, spooning some of the sauce on top
• cover and cook for 6 hours on low until chicken is tender
• serve in shallow bowls with toasted bread if you so desire!

Enjoy this southern recipe in this collection of our southern cuisine – let’s gather the best southern food ideas for The Southern Coterie cookbook.