Monkfish Court Bouillon Recipes

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.

MONKFISH TERRINE (TERRINE DE LOTTE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut away and discard any very red, nonwhite meat from fillets. There should be about 2 pounds of trimmed fish left.
• Meanwhile, bring court-bouillon to the simmer and add fillets. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Cooking time will depend on size of fillets. Remove fillets and let stand until thoroughly cool.
• Put eggs in mixing bowl and add tomato paste, Cognac, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper. Beat with a whisk until thoroughly blended.
• Butter a 7-cup loaf pan using half the butter. Pour about half the egg mixture into the pan and arrange fillets lengthwise in the center. Pour in remaining egg mixture.
• Place loaf pan inside larger pot and pour boiling water around it.
• Grease a rectangle of aluminum foil with remaining butter and place it buttered side down over top of loaf pan. Press down the edges to seal. Bring the water in the pan to the boil on top of the stove, then place in the oven. Bake about 40 minutes or until mixture is almost set. Remove foil covering and let cook about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. The internal temperature should be about 160 degrees. Let the pan remain in its water bath. Remove from the oven and let stand 30 minutes.
• Remove loaf pan from water bath and place it on a rack to cool. Chill thoroughly and serve sliced with spinach mayonnaise.

CREOLE REDFISH COURT-BOUILLON

Steps:

• Heat the 1/2 cup of the oil in a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the flour, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon, to make a roux the color of peanut butter, about 15 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and bay leaves, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Place the tomato paste in a small bowl and whisk in the sherry to blend. Add to the pot, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the stock, whisking to blend. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low then whisk in the butter, bit by bit, until incorporated. Remove from the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Preheat a grill to medium. To grill the fish, brush the fish all over with the olive oil and season the fish with the Essence. Grill the fish, basting occasionally with additional olive oil for about 8 minutes. Turn the fish and grill briefly on the second side. Return the court bouillon to the heat, add the fish, and simmer until just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. To serve, spoon 1/2 cup of rice into the center of six large soup bowls and divide the red fish court bouillon equally among them. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley or green onion.

MONKFISH COURT BOUILLON

Steps:

• Cut the fish into 2-inch pieces. Season with 1 tablespoon of the Essence and set aside. In a large, heavy stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir constantly with a heavy wooden spoon until it becomes a dark roux the color of chocolate, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the celery, onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are wilted, 6 minutes. Add the bay leaves and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, stock, salt and cayenne, and stir well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Add the fish and cook until it flakes with a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the green onions and parsley during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot in soup bowls ladled over rice.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

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.