The Classic French Sauce Anthony Bourdain Called A 'Magical Condiment'

Anthony Bourdain had a lifelong affinity for French food, stemming from childhood summers in the French town his father's family was from. There, Bourdain was introduced to French cuisine. He was the executive chef at a French restaurant, Les Halles in New York City, when his 2000 book, "Kitchen Confidential," launched his celebrity career; he also made many visits to France for his food travel TV shows. So, it's not surprising that Bourdain loved rouille, a classic French sauce that he referred to as a magical condiment.

Rouille (pronounced ROO-ee) is a garlicky, spicy, and creamy emulsified sauce from the Provence region in southern France. It's made with chili powder and saffron (the most expensive spice in the world), which give it the orange color that inspired the name rouille, meaning "rust." In addition to garlic, saffron, and chili pepper, rouille's usual ingredients also include egg yolks, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and vinegar. It's traditionally served with bouillabaisse, the famous fish stew that's also from Provence. Toasted bread slices are spread with rouille and placed on top of the hot bouillabaisse.

For his take on rouille, Bourdain included roasted red pepper and lemon juice, and left out the breadcrumbs, chili powder, and vinegar. That gives his sauce some sweet, peppery flavor and eliminates any spiciness. Rouille is commonly eaten with other seafood soups too, and Bourdain paired his recipe with his version of one of them: soupe de poisson, or "fish soup."

Just as Anthony Bourdain put his own twist on rouille, the French sauce can be customized with many tweaks and variations. Some recipes use cayenne pepper instead of chili powder, for instance, and smoked or sweet paprika can also be swapped in. Stale bread is an option instead of breadcrumbs, or potatoes are sometimes used. When rouille is being served with bouillabaisse, a little of the flavorful broth may be incorporated into the sauce. 

The old school way to make rouille is with a mortar and pestle. But it can come together with less elbow grease in a food processor or blender, with the olive oil streamed in slowly to properly emulsify the sauce. Once made, rouille can be refrigerated for up to three days.

Rouille pairs well with fish and seafood, not just in soups and stews, but also served with whole fish, as a replacement for cocktail sauce with shrimp cocktails, or as a topping for crab cakes. It can work as a dip for fried fish or other fried foods, making an unconventional sauce for things like french fries or chicken fingers, and can even be spread on sandwiches just like mayo or aioli.