Fish
Berck fisherman’s stew
Berck fisherman's stew, known as caudière, is a northern French fish soup made with white fish, mussels and potatoes in a white wine broth finished with cream. It serves 4 in about 1 hour, rated easy, for roughly €4.20 per person. The key to success is cooking the mussels briefly so they stay tender rather than rubbery.
Tonight we're heading up to the north of France, near Berck, for caudière, a soup of fish, mussels and potatoes finished with a little cream.
- Total time
- 1 h
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost per person
- €4.20
- Calories per person
- 690 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
- Season
- Winter, Fall
Berck fisherman's stew sits somewhere between a soup and a one-pot meal. The broth, flavored with leek, bay leaf and white wine, thickens slightly as the potatoes soften and start to break down. The white fish flakes into big chunks, the mussels add their briny juices, and cream stirred in at the end rounds everything out without making it heavy.
This is a dish for a cold autumn or winter evening, the kind that warms you up after a long day. Mon Chou suggests it for a slightly more generous weeknight dinner or an easy Sunday meal, as long as everyone at the table enjoys fish and shellfish together. Since it's built around whole mussels, it suits a table of adults better than young kids.
The ingredients
Fish counter
- White fish chunks (cod, pollock, whiting) 600 g
- Bouchot mussels 1.5 kg
Fruits and vegetables
- Potatoes 700 g
- Onion 2
- Leek 1
- Flat leaf parsley 6 sprigs
Dairy
- Heavy cream 10 cl
- Butter 30 g
Pantry
- Dry white wineoften in the pantry 15 cl
- Bay leafoften in the pantry 1
- Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
- Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
Allergens Fish, Mollusks, Lactose
The step by step recipe
-
Scrub and rinse the mussels, discard any that stay open, slice the onion and leek thinly.
If a mussel stays open after you tap it, throw it out.
-
Sweat the onion and leek in the butter, add the potatoes cut into rounds, the white wine, the bay leaf and enough water to cover, then let it cook. 20 min
Cut the rounds thin, they cook faster and lightly thicken the broth.
-
Add the fish chunks and let simmer gently. 8 min
Lay the fish in without stirring, it will break into big flakes on its own.
-
Add the mussels, cover and let them open. 5 min
Shake the pot once, the mussels will open all together.
-
Stir in the cream, the chopped parsley and the pepper, taste before adding salt since the mussels are already salty, and serve piping hot.
Don't let it boil again once the cream is in, or it may split.
Our tips to get it right
- Pick a firm white fish like cod or pollock, it holds together better during cooking than thin fillets that tend to fall apart.
- Sort through the mussels carefully before you start, one bad mussel can spoil the whole broth.
- Serve the stew in warm, deep bowls, the broth cools down quickly once it's plated.
The variations
- Swap the cod for salmon for a bolder color and flavor, the cooking time stays the same.
- For a shellfish-free version, skip the mussels and add a bit more white fish, the broth stays just as flavorful.
- To save time, cut the potatoes into small cubes instead of rounds, they'll cook in about 12 minutes instead of 20.
What to serve it with
- Toasted country bread
- A simple green salad
- A glass of dry white wine
Storage
The stew keeps for 1 day in the fridge in a sealed container, no longer, because of the mussels and fish. It doesn't freeze well since the cream and mussels change texture once thawed. Reheat it gently over low heat without boiling, so the cream doesn't split.
Questions about this dish
Can you use frozen mussels instead of fresh bouchot mussels?
Yes, frozen shelled mussels work fine, just add them straight to the broth without needing to open them in their shells. The flavor will be slightly less briny than with fresh mussels.
Do you need to soak the mussels before cooking?
No, just scrub them and rinse under cold water right before cooking. Soaking them for a long time doesn't help and can actually weaken them.
Can you make the broth ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the broth with the potatoes through step 2 and keep it in the fridge for a few hours. Add the fish and mussels only right before serving so they stay tender.
Why is the cream added only at the end?
Heavy cream can split if it boils too long in the hot broth. Adding it off the heat or at a bare simmer keeps the broth smooth and silky.
How long does it take to make a Berck fisherman's stew?
Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.
How many calories are in a Berck fisherman's stew?
About 690 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.
How much does a Berck fisherman's stew cost?
About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.
What allergens does this recipe contain?
This recipe contains fish, mollusks, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.
Recipes with cod
See all
Fish 
Fish 
Fish 
Fish Fish and seafood dishes
See all
Fish 
Fish 
Fish Grilled fresh herring with mustard sauce and steamed potatoes
35 min Easy €3.20 / person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach
Fish