Louisiana Courtbouillon

Ingredients

• 120 ml neutral oil or lard, for the roux
• 90 g plain flour, for the roux
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 800 g crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, tinned
• 500 ml fish stock, from bones and heads if fillets are used
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 30 ml Worcestershire sauce, as per Lena Richard
• 900 g redfish, drum, snapper, or catfish, bone-in steaks preferred; firm-fleshed, skin on
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• To finish
• 4 green onions, tops only, thinly sliced
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 1 vinegar-based Louisiana hot sauce, served at the table
• To serve
• 600 g long-grain white rice, steamed
• 1 loaf French bread, for sopping

Method

1. 1
   Heat the oil or lard in a heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly, scraping the base and sides of the pot, until the roux is a deep amber — darker than peanut butter, lighter than chocolate. This is a medium roux: it should smell nutty, not burnt. The colour is the guide.
2. 2
   Add the onion, celery, and green bell pepper to the hot roux all at once. The vegetables will spit and steam. Stir continuously until they soften into the roux and the mixture smells sweet and savoury rather than raw, about 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a further 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
3. 3
   Add the crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, stirring to incorporate fully with the roux-trinity base. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 20–30 minutes. The sauce is ready when it has darkened several shades, reduced visibly, and no longer smells of raw tomato — it should smell deep, slightly caramelised, and complex.
4. 4
   Add the fish stock, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes, until the sauce has enough body to coat the back of a spoon.
5. 5
   Lay the fish steaks or fillets into the simmering sauce in a single layer. Do not stir. Cook gently at a low simmer for 15–20 minutes depending on thickness. The fish is done when it yields at the thickest point to gentle pressure and the flesh separates cleanly along its natural flake — it should be just falling apart at the edges while still holding form at the centre.
6. 6
   Taste the sauce and adjust salt and cayenne. Remove the bay leaves. Serve directly from the pot, ladled over steamed rice, with green onion tops scattered over each portion. Set lemon wedges and hot sauce on the table.