Shelly's Recipe

CAJUN COURTBOUILLON

Category: Soups

4 cups seafood stock or 1 (32 oz) container chicken or vegetable broth or plain water
2/3 cup microwave roux
1 cup onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1 lb 12 oz) can whole tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 tsp kosher salt
6 turns of the pepper grinder
1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning, or to taste
2-3 lbs fish, cleaned
Salt and pepper, to taste
Green onion, to garnish
Fresh parsley, to garnish
Hot, steamed rice
Hot sauce, for the table
Lemon wedges

Warm the seafood stock and set aside. In a large, heavy, lidded pot, warm up the roux over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the onion, celery and bell pepper to the roux and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Chop the tomatoes in the can, and add to the roux and veggies. Add the Rotel tomatoes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Stir in the warmed seafood stock and add the salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about one hour, or until nicely reduced and thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Add the fish to the top of the sauce, sprinkle it with a bit of salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish is poached and cooked through. Do not stir!

Once the fish is poached through, carefully ladle the courtbouillon into a deep soup bowl, over steaming rice. Add a nice, mixed garden salad, a wedge of lemon, some fresh, hot French bread and always, hot sauce to pass at the table.