Whitefish Poached in Court Bouillon
Whitefish Poached in Court Bouillon
Now the name, Court Bouillon sounds very upscale, as a good friend explains it, "court bouillon is 'an aromatic liquid in which meat, fish, and various vegetables are cooked,' in other words, fancy salted water!" This is excellent fish and is actually a 2 for 1 dish, the fish, and the potatoes for a side. I made this on 6 Feb 2018, excellent.
Ingredients
For the Poached Fish
- 1 kilo whitefish fillets, boneless, skinless, (2 lbs)
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- lemon or lime slices, for garnish if desired
For the Potato Side Dish
- 500 grams potatoes, cut into 1 to 1½ inch pieces, (1 lb)
- pinch saffron threads, if desired, 5-6 threads
Instructions
- Cut your fish fillets in half to make more manageable sizes, this makes them so much easier to lift out of the water after they are poached. Good fillets would be Pangasius and Barramundi.
- In a large pot, add the water, salt, garlic, bay leaves, and olive oil. Bring to a boil and hold for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Place the fillets in the boiling water and return to a boil for about 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through. Use a slotted spatula to remove the fish to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Let the fish rest for about 5 minutes before serving, or go ahead and make the optional potatoes.
For the Potatoes
- Bring the water to a boil that was used to cook the fish, add just a pinch, and I mean a small pinch, most expensive spice in the world no less, of saffron in the pot. Saffron is for the color and just a hint of flavor. If no saffron, add an even smaller pinch of turmeric, this is for color mainly and just a smidgen of taste.
- When boiling, add the cubed potatoes, these can be skin on or skin off, up to your preference, into the water. Cook for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Drain potatoes, plate with the fish, serve and enjoy.
Notes
For the fish, go with about 130 Baht/1 kilo of Pangasius fillets. For 4 servings, this is about 96 cents per serving.
Variants: 1. After fish is added to the water, add shrimp, mussel meat, or lump crab.
I made this on 6 Feb 2018, this will be a regular from now on, light but excellent seasoning, very delicious fish and potatoes. This was very well liked my wife as well. This is now a Go-To meal 🙂