Court Bouillon Recipes

LOUISIANA COURT-BOUILLON (OR CAJUN COURT BOUILLON)

Steps:

• Cut fish into 3 inch chunks and sprinkle with creole seasoning. Set in fridge.
• Cook veggies in butter until tender.
• Add roux (either use 4 tablespoons flour browned in a pan or oven or make with 4 tablespoons flour browned in 3 tablespoons butter).
• Add bay leaves.
• Add stock, tomatoes, other liquid ingredients and salt and pepper. Note: chicken stock or clam juice (or both) can be used if you have no fish stock.
• Simmer 20 minutes.
• Add fish, seasonings, and parsley and simmer gently for 15 more minutes.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve with rice in bowl.

COURT-BOUILLON

Steps:

• Fill a large stockpot with 7 quarts of water. Make a bouquet garni: Place the herbs, spices, and bay leaves on a square of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle with kitchen twine. Add to pot. Stir in wine, leek, carrots, lemon, and salt.
• Cover, and bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Uncover; gently simmer 30 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Let cool completely.

COURT BOUILLON FOR POACHING FISH

Steps:

• For the bouillon: Place all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and reserve. Can be refrigerated 3 days or frozen for months.
• For the fish: Run fingers over fish fillets to feel for tiny bones; if there are any, remove with needlenose pliers or tweezers. Lightly oil or butter the bottom of a deep skillet big enough to fit fish fillets in a single layer and place fish thus in skillet. Bring court bouillon to a simmer. Gently pour court bouillon over the fish, covering completely. Turn heat on very low so that liquid steams but does not quite simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let fish sit in liquid an additional 5 minutes per inch of thickness. Start checking fish for doneness: a thin knife inserted in thickest part of fillet should meet with just slight resistance. Fish should still be slightly translucent in center. Remove fish from skillet with slotted spatula, blot the bottom lightly with a paper towel, and serve.
• For the almonds: Heat large nonstick skillet over medium flame. Add almonds and cook for 2 minutes, tossing frequently, until light brown and smelling toasty. Reduce heat to low. Drizzle oil over nuts and toss well. Sprinkle soy and lime juice over and toss well. Sprinkle cayenne, black pepper, garlic and scallion white/light greens over and toss very well. Continue to cook, stirring and tossing frequently, for 5 minutes or until nuts are dry and scallion and garlic are soft. Add scallion greens, toss again, and serve over poached bass or snapper with a wedge of lime.
• For the emulsion: Wash watercress and remove the thickest stems. Bring medium pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Have a medium bowl of ice water at hand for refreshing. When water returns to the boil, plunge watercress in and cook for 30 seconds. Drain watercress and quickly drop in ice water. When thoroughly chilled, drain watercress again and lightly squeeze out water. Chop blanched watercress roughly on cutting board. Place in blender and puree, adding a little water if necessary to get the mixture going. With blender running, gradually pour in oil until emulsion is formed. Add rest of salt and pepper, puree again and taste, adjusting seasoning if needed. Serve over poached salmon.

CAJUN FISH COURT-BOUILLON FROM GREAT-GRANDMA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat.
• When the pot is hot, add oil and heat for a minute or so, then add the flour and make a roux by stirring constantly for at least 10 minutes, and up to 30 minutes. It should be a nice medium to dark brown.
• Add the onion, salt, and pepper and cook for 10 minutes, until onions are softened (or "withered" as Grandma would say).
• Add hot water and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate water into the roux. Add tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and green onions and bring to a boil.
• Add the fish, gently stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour (fish fillets will break into pieces during cooking).
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve with bread.

REDFISH COURT-BOUILLON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the olive oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat to make a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes or until dark. This may take longer.
• Add the onion, garlic, and celery to the roux, and cook until softened. Stir in stewed tomatoes, and season with salt, pepper, thyme, basil, oregano and bay leaf. Mix until well blended and heated through. Lay fish fillets in the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the sauce over the fish.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until fish is easily pierced with a fork. While cooking, baste occasionally with the sauce. Remove bay leaf, and serve.

COURT BOUILLON

Steps:

• Cut up leek, carrot, and celery and in a large saucepan bring to a boil with remaining ingredients. Boil mixture 10 minutes and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Court bouillon keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days or, frozen, 2 months.

GE COURT BOUILLON

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Strain or use chunky the first time, then strain through a fine mesh and either refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Either way, be sure to bring to a boil before reusing.

COURT BOUILLON

Steps:

• Fit a 10-quart fish poacher with a rack in the bottom, and place the poacher over 2 burners on top of the stove (or use a large stockpot). Fill with 7 quarts water (about three-quarters full). Tie the thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and fennel seeds together in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, and place in the poacher; add the wine, leek, carrots, lemon, bay leaves, and salt. Cover, and bring to a simmer. Uncover; gently simmer for 30 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni. Let the bouillon cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. The bouillon can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.