Texas Catfish Court Bouillon
Texas Catfish Court Bouillon
Texas Catfish Court Bouillon, pronounced as one word, "koo bee yahn," is a hearty Creole fish stew that is a favorite for our family to make when we are entertaining at the beach. I use a big roasting pan, nothing fancy, make a roux, add the vegetables and catfish to cook and serve it all with a big bowl of white rice.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ large white onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 lbs plum tomatoes, roasted and chopped
- 3 ½ cups fish stock, see page 50
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Pinch ground cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp celery seeds
- 2 ½ tsp dried thyme
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 catfish fillets, about 2 lbs, cut into 2 inch chunks
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 2 cups cooked rice, to accompany
Make the Roux
Preheat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the butter and melt completely. Add the flour and begin stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the color becomes a dark golden brown.
Add the Vegetables
Add the onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper and cook until softened, stirring frequently.
Add the chopped roasted tomatoes and their juices and stir to incorporate. Add ½ cup of the stock and let simmer for 3 minutes.
Cook the Catfish
Reduce the heat to medium low and add the remaining stock, salt, dried spices, bay leaves and catfish chunks.
Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To Serve
Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with parsley and green onions and serve over warm rice.
Kitchen Tip: Roasting Tomatoes
To roast the tomatoes, cut them in half lengthwise and place them cut side down on a parchment lined sheet pan.
Place under a high broiler until the skins have blistered and charred, about 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the sheet pan every 2 to 3 minutes for even roasting. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.