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Drew's Catfish Courtbouillon

Source of Recipe

From "Besh Big Easy" by John Besh


Recipe Introduction

"My good friend Drew Mire would cook this up if you just looked at him the right way. Courtbouillon (pronounced CU-boo-yon) is our New Orleans tomato-based fish stew and can take so many different forms and ingredients. Here's Drew's easy, oh-so delicious version with catfish and crab."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 tablespoons butter
â—¦ ½ cup flour
â—¦ 1 onion, chopped
â—¦ 1 stalk celery, chopped
â—¦ 1 bell pepper, chopped
â—¦ 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
â—¦ 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
â—¦ 3 cups shellfish stock
â—¦ 1 cup dry white wine
â—¦ 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦ Big pinch ground allspice
â—¦ 2 to 3 pounds fresh catfish filets, cut into 3-inch pieces
â—¦ ½ pound crabmeat
â—¦ 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
â—¦ 2 sprigs tarragon, chopped
â—¦ Salt and pepper
â—¦ Tabasco
â—¦ Worcestershire
â—¦ 3 green onions, sliced


Recipe

Make a blond roux in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat by melting the butter and stirring in the flour. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes, then add the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, stock, wine, pepper flakes, and allspice.
Raise the heat to high and continue to stir until the liquid comes to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for about 30 minutes.

Add the fish, crabmeat, parsley, and tarragon, then raise the heat and cook for another 6 minutes. Just before serving in big bowls, add salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire, and top with green onions.

Serves 6