La Bourride

For me la bourride is one of the greatest dishes of Provence, and far superior to the bouillabaisse which cookery writers and tourists alike wax over a little too lyrically for my liking. Too often on the Côte, bouillabaisse comes from some frozen packet of Spanish origin. Even the French buy it without complaint, such is its reputation. I have eaten bouillabaisse that has varied from a stale fish soup to something quite excellent. But for me la bourride is the fish dish.

The best that I ever ate was at the Restaurant Michel in Marseilles. It was one of those formica, stainless steel and glass restaurants, which without the patina of frenetic style that the French call élan would have been a tasteless mish-mash.