Corsican bouillabaisse, called aziminu on the island, is the great fish soup of Corsican fishermen. Like its cousin from Marseille, it is made with rockfish, tomatoes, fennel and saffron, but it has its own personality, with a hint of chilli and plenty of olive oil.
I tasted it in May 2026 at the restaurant Aux Coquillages de Diana, on the Ile de Diane near Aléria, in a stunning setting: a floating restaurant on a lagoon. Their version was a modern take, made with the catch of the day, and it made me want to learn the original recipe.
So here is the traditional version of aziminu, the way Corsican families make it. First you make a rich stock with the small fish, then you poach the best pieces in it. It takes a little time, but it is a perfect festive dish for 6 people.
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Stock
- 1 kg small gutted rockfish (for the soup)
- 80 ml olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 leek, white part only
- 1 fennel bulb
- 4 garlic cloves
- 500 g very ripe tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 small dried chilli
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
- 0.2 g saffron threads
- 2 l water
- Salt and pepper
Fish
- 1.2 kg firm white fish, cut into thick pieces (scorpion fish, gurnard, John Dory, conger eel)
To serve
- 12 slices of country bread
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Slice the onion, leek and fennel. Crush 4 garlic cloves. Chop the tomatoes. Rinse the small rockfish and the fish pieces, and keep the pieces in the fridge.
- In a large pot, heat the 80 ml olive oil. Cook the onion, leek, fennel and garlic for 8 minutes over medium heat, without letting them brown.
- Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and let them soften for 5 minutes. Add the small rockfish and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until they start to fall apart.
- Pour in the 2 l water, add the bouquet garni, the dried chilli and half the saffron. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the bouquet garni and the chilli. Pass the soup through a food mill (fine disc), then through a fine sieve, pressing hard to get all the juice out of the fish. Discard the bones.
- Return the stock to the pot with the rest of the saffron, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil: this is what binds the oil and the stock together.
- Add the thickest pieces first (conger eel, scorpion fish), then 3 minutes later the thinner ones (gurnard, John Dory). Simmer for another 5 to 6 minutes, until the flesh comes away from the bone.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread slices, rub them with 2 halved garlic cloves and drizzle with olive oil.
- Serve the piping hot stock in deep plates over the garlic croutons, then bring the fish separately on a large platter, as tradition dictates.
Tips and variations
- Ask your fishmonger for a mix of small rockfish for soup: the more varieties, the more flavourful the stock.
- The chilli should just lift the soup. If you like it spicy, leave it in until the end or serve a rouille on the side.
- Add a few langoustines or mussels in the last 5 minutes for an even more festive version.
- The stock can be made the day before and keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Only poach the fish just before serving.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.