Gluten free
SpicyCourt-bouillon de poisson
Snapper in tomato sauce
Court-bouillon: Martinique's red snapper simmered in a tomato, onion, chive and hot-pepper sauce
In Martinique court-bouillon is not a poaching liquid but a rich red fish stew, cooked for Sunday lunch in Le Robert or Le Vauclin and served with white rice, red beans and a slice of breadfruit or yam. Red snapper is marinated with lime, garlic and hot pepper, then simmered in a sauce of tomato, onion, garlic, chive and thyme coloured with a little roucou (annatto) oil. It contains fish. The usual mistake is stirring the pot once the fish is in, which breaks the pieces; shake the pan gently instead. It is done when the fish is opaque through and flakes at the bone and the sauce is thick enough to cling. Chef's tip: finish with a spoonful of uncooked garlic, chive and lime stirred in at the end, the way Martiniquais cooks do, for a fresh, sharp lift.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 270 kcal
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- ½ scotch bonnet chilliseeded, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp ground annatto (roucou)
- 1 onionsliced
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 4 ripe tomatoeschopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tbsp chiveschopped
- ½ limejuiced
- 1 clove garliccrushed
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ¾ lb red snapper steaks or fillets with 3 tbsp lime juice, 2 cloves garlic, ½ scotch bonnet chilli and 1 tsp salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30–60 minutes.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and stir in ½ tsp ground annatto (roucou) for 30 seconds until the oil turns red. Add 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
6 minStep 3: Add 4 ripe tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 3 sprigs fresh thyme and 1 bay leaf and cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce.
10 minStep 4: Add ¾ cup water and bring to a simmer. Lay the fish in with its marinade, spoon sauce over and cover. Simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, shaking the pan now and then instead of stirring, until the fish is opaque through and flakes easily.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does court-bouillon de poisson take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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