Okay, just copying my old, faded instrux verbatim here, before it crumbles to dust. Will say it's pronounced COO-bee-yon, though, while assuming you can handle 'catfish' part on your own. This recipe comes from the old Paw Paw's Seafood & Steak House in Lake Charles.

I wonder if it's still there? I haven't looked since mid-80's. Anyway, they used to serve a small bowl of this automatically, soon as you sat down, as an appetizer gratis of the house same way other places provided crackers (and a glass of ice water). And then there was a stack of recipes for it beside the cash register on the way out, for in case you really liked it. Nice touch, I always thought. In fact it was nearly the best part of going there, same as the shrimp cole slaw at the old Hillman's Restaurant on Dickinson Bayou, back here at home.

It's so incredibly tasty (and relatively easy to conquer) that I became famous in certain small circles as the guy who could make it. I call it "the Cajun answer to Chili," and consider it nothing less than the Quintessential Taste of Louisiana. Fix rice and garlic bread to go with it, and that's an order. Makes a fine stand-alone meal just like that, or serve it as an appetizer at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Use any fish you have.

Catfish Court Bouillon

Serving for 6-8 persons. Cook (fillet) fish prior to preparing court bouillon, fish may be prepared two ways:

1 - Broiled with butter, lemon juice, and paprika.
2 - Boiled - boil for 20 - 30 minutes

(Pogo's note: remember, I'm copying this verbatim... just as it was tapped out originally by whoever.)

Ingredients:

- 3 lbs. of broiled or boiled fillet.
- 1 cup each of finely chopped bell pepper, white onions, celery.
- 6 cups tomato sauce (to taste)
- 1 gallon water
- 2 tbls. of finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup of green onion tops
- 1 tbls. of worchestershire sauce.
- 2 tsp. of salt
- 2 1/2 tsp. of red pepper
- 2 1/2 tsp. of black pepper
- 2 tsp. of garlic salt
- 3 tsp. of paprika

First make a roux (the cooking of flour and grease in equal portion, cooked in a large pot), start with enough grease to cover the bottom of the pot and add flour allowing the mass to thicken, until it darkens to the color of peanut butter. Add ingredients, allow ingredients to simmer for 25 minutes. Then add cooked fish and place lid on pot, and simmer for another 30 minutes, being sure to stir carefully from side to side in pot every once and a while to keep fish from sticking or burning to bottom of pot; and replace lid.

Once court bouillon has finished cooking, cut fire off, and add two bay leaves per gallon of court bouillon, then allow to cool 15 minutes, then reheat if necessary and serve over rice.

...And there ya have it. Sure, I've polished out my own way of putting 'er together over the years, and I'll be happy to discuss it further if there's any interest.

Sounds and looks alot like the coubeeyon made with gar that my Uncle Bee from Morgan City used to make. Man was that good. I'm gonna try this one.

If you wouldn't mind - let me in on your tricks/tips/embellishments. I like it spicy but can't take to much 'heat' any longer - (getting old isn't for sissies or 'half-a##ed coona##')

thanks,

Bunkie

Oh Lordy, that SOUNDS good! Bet it was killer!! They're just people who flat know how to COOK...

I was travelling to Cajun country on business routinely for a few years in the mid-eighties, and consistent with the nature of southeast Louisianans, the family of one of my clients considered my visits social as much as anything. They taught me a great deal about living in general, and specifically, showed me how to cook their way.

First, I get a big pot of water boiling, then I toss the fish in. Gills and guts have been removed but that's all; heads, fins, scales, everything else goes in. Give it just a little while (~10 min) and fish 'em back out, the idea is to make boning easy. Carefully remove cooked fish meat from carcasses, no stray bones please, and toss carcasses back in. Chunk an onion in with 'em if you want. Boil for another hour, more or less. Strain. This makes a fish stock, or a 'fume' as the chefs call it (pronounced f'yoo-MAY).

The above is the most important part of making really great Cajun dishes like this, or gumbo, etouffe, etc. Always boil shrimp, crawfish, or whatever with heads on, and make a good solid stock. Or broil and reserve the juices. Or whatever, just NEVER use plain water! Canned chicken broth, clam juice, beer... anything but plain water.

Well okay, there's two most important things. Some folks don't use roux, but then, some folks are communists. (I understand some genuine organic home-grown Cajun cooks dislike roux, but I never actually met one.) It's well worth your while to learn to put a roux together, as it's a heck of a lot of fun, and one hugely versatile building block all chefs learn early on, upon which myriad dishes, sauces, and gravies are based. Roux can be made ready anywhere from almost snow white (think cream gravy) to chocolate brown (andouille gumbo).

I make the roux for thisun just as they say, a medium-light peanut butter color. Then I add the tomato paste and chopped veggies to it when it reaches that color, and cook till everything looks nicely done and juicy. Mind, it starts out looking impossibly dry when you first combine all that junk to the roux, but stay with it, it'll come around. Use medium heat, no need to go too slow or too fast. Keep stirring; if the phone rings, don't answer. Then add other spices, stock, and fish as directed.

Couple ways to address the heat issue. One way is to add Rotel tomato, another is to bump up the cayenne, yet another variation adds a minced jalepeno (or two or three). Be conservative until you know the lay of the land, this dish tends to be hot all by itself somehow. I add a sprinkle of cayenne and call it a day, and if anyone wants it hotter that's why God created Louisiana Hot Sauce.

Pogo, thanks for the tips. I can do a little cajun cookin and make a killer wild duck and sausage gumbo. After a few failures I learned to make a good roux. As you say, it takes time and attention and about 2 brews.

I agree that the stock is key in any cajun dish and the spices need time to meld.

My Uncle Bee's coubeeyon was a bit thicker that yours since he added cooked rice to the coubeeyon before it was served. I would prefer serving the dish over rice ala gumbo.

Anyway, its makin me hongry just thinking about it - and I'm stuck at work until 8 tonight. I have some speckled trout filets that might make a decent coubeeyon. Don't have a whole fish right now to make a stock with but I'll come up with something. Next time we go fishing I'll keep a whole speck or redfish to make the stock with.

bunkie

Bunkie, use a can of chicken broth or beer, either should work okay.

For beginners, learning to make a roux ought to be super easy. Just keep trying till you get one you like. I'm not a wasteful sort, but how bad can tossing out a bit of oil and flour be? Just be careful handling it, they don't call it "Cajun Napalm" for nothing.

Looks great!

Thank you, this works great with redfish too
Yesterdays catch didn't last long last night!!

You know when you filet those large redfish and you hate leaving all that meat on the backbone.
Or that thick slab of belly meat.
That's what you use for redfish court bouillon.

We always stopped there every year on the way to the reunion.
Sure miss it.

Do you have a good receipe for Jambalaya?

I made this a couple of days ago with some kingfish and it was GREAT! Cut the peppers down some and tweaked it just a bit but basically the same recipe. We will definately be having it again!!!

Comfort food with character. Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) aka gaspergou could also star in this soup.

Thanks for posting.

On my short list to cook now. Have heard about it for a while but never tried it, thanks for the recipe.

Gonna give it a go. Looks wonderful. Thanks for posting.

Wife is actually making this as I type this. The smell is wonderful. My mouth is watering. Thanks again.