Poached Catfish in Court Bouillon

Submitted by editor on October 18, 2009 - 4:11pm
Fish Poacher for Court Bouillon Recipe

Summary

Yield
Prep Time30 minutes
CategoryFish
CuisineFrench

Description

The classic method of poaching fish in a court bouillon imparts delicate flavors to the fish. Fish always comes out moist and succulent. This fish poaching liquid is versatile and will work with many types of fish.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs fresh catfish filets, about 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 8 whole black peppercorns
  • 4 whole allspice
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 4 qts water (enough to cover fish)
  • 8 sprigs cilantro

Instructions

Court Bouillon (Poaching Liquid)
Place water in a fish poacher (long, oval shaped pan).  Add onion, peppercorns, allspice, lemon slices, bay leaf, salt and white wine. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 20 minutes.

Poaching the Fish
Rinse the catfish fillets and pat dry with a paper towel. Make sure there is enough poaching liquid to cover the fish. Add more water if necessary and bring to a new boil, then lower heat back down to a simmer.

Lower the fish onto the poaching tray. Cover and simmer gently until fish is just slightly translucent inside when cut at the thickest part. Poaching about 6 to 10 minutes for each inch of thickness should be about right.

When done, lift tray out of poacher and serve catfish fillets immediately. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro.

Notes

You can save and reuse the poaching liquid, refrigerate up to 2 days, freeze for longer storage.

This classic court bouillon will work with many types of fish including Trout, Sea Bass, Cod, Flounder, Halibut, John Dory, Snapper, Tilapia, and most Salmon.

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