Thank you Beauetienne! Vous etre en Lafayette? We live in Dutchtown near Gonzales. I've never done a Courtbouillion. Never eaten one!
I've read of them and heard of them. Can you post a recipe? Louisiana has some great food. The best in my opinion!
Per your request:
As I seldom measure anything, this should be close for a small batch.
There's really not much to it. Just don't over cook the catfish.
I do mine in a black iron pot. Once you add the fish, don't stir. Shake/revolve the pot rather than stirring.
The fish should be free of any blue or silver membranes.
INGREDIENTS
About 3.5 lbs whole, clean catfish, bone in, cut into sections about 2.5" thick (no fillets!)
1 large yellow onion- chopped
2 small cloves of garlic- chopped
1/2 bunch of parsley- chopped
1 large stalk celery- chopped
1/4 bellpepper- chopped
1 bunch green onions- chopped
1 small green cayenne pepper-chopped
3/4 stick of butter
1 large can (appx 28oz) whole tomato-- cut up (can cook down raw tomatoes instead if desired, I prefer this)
1 level tablespoon medium-dark roux
1 small pinch brown sugar
Melt butter on a low/medium fire to keep from burning it.
Into the melting butter add onions, celery, peppers, garlic and parsley.
Saute, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until onions are clear.
Add cut-up, drained, whole tomatoes. Cover pot. Save the liquid for later.
Continue to saute these ingrediants for at least an hour and closer to two hours if able. Add tomato liquid as needed. Season with salt and red pepper. You want to create a kind of tomato sauce but, preserve some tomato peices.
About 20 minutes before you are finished with the sauce, stir in and desolve the roux.
Add brown sugar (small pinch only).
When you are finished with the sauce it should be as thick as tomato sauce without any remaining water. The fish will add water as they cook.
Add the fish (seasoned with salt and red pepper) to the pot. Hopefully you have a pot large enough to layer the pieces of fish on the bottom. If not, layering is ok, it's just harder not to break up the fish. Cover the pot.
The fish will need to cook for about 20 minutes (until just before it starts to fall from the bones). Pick-up and rotate/shake the pot every so often to keep the fish from sticking.
At about 5 minutes before the fish is cooked, add the green onions.
When done, the sauce will appear orange rather than red. If the sauce is too red, you need to put more fish or less tomato, next time.
Enjoy over short/medium grain ( long grain doesn't hold the sauce as well) rice.
Many people do this other ways using mushroom soup and/or other ingredients. What I have listed are traditional ingredients and cooking methods leaned from my grandparents in Evangeline Parish.
Hope you like it Wilson. I get out around the Dutchtown area every so often for gunshows and such. Used to work in St. Gabriel. I do go the Gonzales gun show 'bout twice a year. I live near Breaux Bridge.
QUOTE CAJUNLAWYER: And Beautienne-as far as courtbouillion, goes in my opinion catfish is way too delicate for that-it's kinda like pot roasting filet mignon. I tried catfish one time and couldn't keep it from falling apart. A good courtbouillion crys out for red fish or 'gou
Hi Caj.
I think that if you were to have this dish as I prepare it you might reconsider using fish like drums and Goo. It remains delicate on the palate.
Maybe we will run into each other one day. Hope so.
