A Pot for La Vraie Bouillabaisse

Posted by Jacqueline Church Aug 14, 2007

The pot that started it all

About two weeks ago, I came home from some errands sweaty and exhausted and my husband stood next to a box on the counter looking like kid at Christmas. “It’s here!”

“What’s here?” I asked, unable to recall anything I’d ordered. “It’s a surprise! For you!” I could tell by his excitement, this required a quick cooling shower and a gathering of my senses.

Adequately spiffed up for the momentous surprise, I tackled the large, heavy box. Somewhere my sweetie found this gorgeous Staub Bouillabaise pot on an insane close-out deal. He knew I'd love it and be even more thrilled at the deal he got.

It sits proudly on my stove and I’ve done two gumbos, two chowders and a scampi. It’s a perfect blend of form and function, beautiful design and perfect features any cook appreciates. Cast iron heats quickly and evenly and retains heat very well. Enamel coating makes cleanup a breeze and the graded blue enamel and fish knob make it elegant enough to serve in.

One of the innovations that cause chefs such as Thomas Keller and authorities such as Gourmet Magazine, The New York Times, Food Arts to gush is the Staub’s spiked lids. Little nubs cause steam to condense and redistribute into the pot ensuring beautifully moist food.

This wonderful gift got me thinking about Julia Child and bouillabaisse and how the right tools makes cooking so much more enjoyable. If you haven’t yet read “My Life in France,” and you're a fan of biographies, or of Julia do get a copy. In it, Julia recalls learning to prepare bouillabaisse as a new resident in Marseilles. Reading about the advice she got from the fishwives on the docks of Marseilles (many offering directly opposing views on how le vraie bouillabaisse was to be prepared) makes you want to hustle down to the fish monger and get to it.

Speaking of fishmongers, we discovered for ourselves a great place Boston Magazine noted for fish. New Deal Fish Market in Cambridge is terrific, full of great seafood and helpful advice. It’s been a family business since 1928. When we walked in, Carl (son in the father-son team) was helping a woman asking about what fish to avoid during pregnancy. Both father and son make you feel welcome and at ease, like you could ask them anything from how to prepare fluke or what size clam is best for the chowder.

• So read Essential Cook's Tools to see my beautiful Staub bouillabaisse pot (see the little fish on top?) and learn about other tools gourmet home cooks must have.

• I think about all the silly gadgets retailers invent each season. Chief among them are these tools you don't need. The common denominator in terms of function is to separate you from your money. 'Nuff said!