Redfish Courtboullion

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It was a gloomy winter day. The cold north wind howled outside but a spicy, aromatic fish stew simmered on the back burner evoking reminiscences of a tug on a summer’s fishing pole followed by a rush of adrenaline and the battle of redfish and angler. The pungent aroma of redfish courtbouillon (pronounced coobyong) was working its magic.

You just can’t rush Cajun, and I took half a day putting this stew together. Cajuns believe making this stew is an act of love and like love, you don’t rush it. Cajun dishes evoke caring about the folks around you. I first had a courtboullion in Mitte, La. made with catfish by a lady (JoAnn Mahaffey) who knew how to cook it. She and her husband, Tinker, ran the campground where our canoe club stayed when we paddled the Ouski Chitto. She always had dinner for the crew when we came in on Saturday night. I think that was the trip where Tinker tried to get Roy and me (we were dating) married before we left Louisiana – but that’s another story. Eating warm courtboullion around a campfire with cold beer, good friends and stories was nothing short of heavenly.

Later, a friend at work brought me a cookbook that’s out of print now, Creole Gumbo and All that Jazz. The author went to all the wonderful restaurants in New Orleans and collected recipes, how to clean fish and crabs, and the history of New Orleans and its food. That too, was a labor of love for him. I have cooked many a meal from that book, and none of them was bad – well except for the Spanish mackerel. But I think that had more to do with not liking the fish than liking the recipe.

After gumbo and jambalaya, courtboullion forms the trinity of divine Creole-Cajun stews. Making and eating redfish courtbouillon, celebrated as both an aphrodisiac and brain food, is a delicious way to chase the blues and while away a lazy winter afternoon. It’s also good for heating up a mid-summer’s meal. Like the title suggests, this dish is best when made with redfish, but any white meat fish will work in a pinch. In East Texas, catfish are easier to find and will do nicely.

To make this meal, fresh (or fresh frozen) redfish is essential – and that means being able to catch a couple in the wild. Today, anglers all along the Texas coast fish for the saltwater big three – the spotted sea trout, the southern flounder and most popular of all, the redfish (or red drum). But it wasn’t that long ago that the redfish population crashed along the entire Texas coast. In the 1970s fish populations were dangerously low due to a series of harsh winters and overfishing by recreational and commercial anglers and – maybe just a little from the blackened redfish craze.

The Texas Legislature first came to the redfish’s rescue by enacting limits for both commercial fisheries and sports anglers. In 1983, the Texas Legislature also gave Texas Parks and Wildlife Department the authority to: regulate daily bag limits, establish catch size and establish a stock enhancement program. The three hatcheries combined produce and release into the wild some 25 million juvenile finfish annually. Redfish has made a comeback all along the coast.

So, when our neighbor brought me the correct amount of redfish for the courtboullion, and the weather was just right, it was time to show some love to the neighborhood and make a pot of it. It makes a lot – so you can share – or freeze if you want it all for yourself. Here’s the recipe.

Redfish Courtboullion

½ cup canola oil

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped green pepper

1¾ cup chopped white onion

1 cup finely chopped shallots

2 tablespoons minced garlic (Roy likes it better with about half the garlic)

4 bay leaves

¾ teaspoon powdered thyme

3 cups whole canned tomatoes

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons paprika

4 cups fish or chicken stock

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¾ cup burgundy

4 pounds redfish (cleaned and filleted)

1 lemon, sliced