Redfish Court Bouillon
- 3 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- 2 large celery ribs, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 6 large scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (include some green tops)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 large whole bay leaves, preferably fresh
- Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
- One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup dry white or red wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne), or to taste
- 2½ pounds redfish, red snapper, or catfish fillets
- 1½ cups converted rice, cooked by package directions
Instructions:
To classically trained chefs, a court bouillon is an aromatic broth used to cook fish, shellfish, assorted meats, and vegetables.
- Put the bacon drippings in a large, heavy kettle over moderate heat and mix in the onion, bell pepper, celery, and scallions. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring now and then, for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
- Stir in the parsley, garlic, and bay leaves and cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until the garlic is golden but not brown.
- Mix in all remaining ingredients except for the fish and rice, bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cover and cook for 1 hour or until the flavors mellow. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste for salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and adjust as needed.
- Lay the fish on top of the kettle mixture, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or just until the fish almost flakes at the touch of a fork.
- To serve, divide the rice among eight large heated soup bowls, lay the fish on top, again dividing the total amount evenly, then ladle in the kettle liquid.