Can you eat bouillabaisse while pregnant?
Check firstYes, bouillabaisse is safe when the fish and shellfish are simmered until cooked through. The usual seafood is not high in mercury, so the part to ask about is the rouille, a garlic sauce often made with raw egg yolk.
Why
The broth simmers hard, and properly cooked fish and shellfish are fine in pregnancy: the NHS warns against raw shellfish, not cooked. Mercury is not a worry with the usual catch either. Cod, shrimp, clams and lobster are on the FDA Best Choices list, and monkfish, snapper and halibut are Good Choices, so a bowl simply counts toward your fish for the week. The part to check is the rouille, the garlic and saffron sauce spread on the toast. It is often whisked with raw egg yolk like homemade mayonnaise, which carries a Salmonella risk, so order it made with pasteurized egg or leave it off. Some kitchens also finish the pot with a splash of pastis. The NHS advises avoiding alcohol altogether in pregnancy, so ask whether it goes in at the end.
Safer alternatives
- Seafood paella
- New England clam chowder served steaming hot
- Roasted cod with tomatoes, fennel and olives
Sources
- FDA https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish
- NHS https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/
- NHS https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant/
Every verdict follows our sourcing methodology: official health guidelines only, most cautious position when they differ.
Last reviewed by the pregAI editorial team.
Frequently asked questions
Is the rouille served with bouillabaisse safe while pregnant?
Only if it is made without raw egg. Traditional rouille is emulsified with an uncooked yolk, so ask whether the kitchen uses pasteurized egg or a bread and potato base. At home, stir garlic, saffron and chili into store-bought mayonnaise, which is made with pasteurized eggs.
How often can I eat bouillabaisse when pregnant?
Count a bowl as one of your fish servings for the week. The FDA suggests 2 to 3 servings a week from its Best Choices list, such as cod and shrimp, or 1 serving from Good Choices like monkfish and snapper.
Does the alcohol in bouillabaisse cook off?
White wine added early simmers with the broth for a long time, which drives off much of the alcohol but not all of it. A splash of pastis stirred in at the end stays in the bowl. Since the NHS advises avoiding alcohol in pregnancy, ask the kitchen to leave out that final splash.
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Get instant verdicts on any foodpregAI is informational only and is not medical advice. Always check with your doctor or midwife about anything specific to your pregnancy.