Catfish Courtbouillon

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All of the recipes I see now a days are bright red with tons of tomato sauce.

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While not tons, this is courtbouillion to me. probably needed it to hide the taste of gou.

Where was your grandmother from? Was just talking with my dad last night about the "down the bayou" red gravy last night. Almost a rust colored gravy.

DTB repping here...I think of sauce piquante as the thicker, tomato heavy gravy. Courtbouillion is thinner, browner, and soupier. Closer to a gumbo consistency than an etouffee.

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The one my Grandma used to make was more like a light broth

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Not sure what you mean by light but Courtboullion should have a roux and make it darker and thicker than a red tomato sauce.

This recipe is pretty close to what I'm getting at. No roux or tomatoes

LINK

Shayne writes, “Hey MawMaw. I’m seeing a lot of courtbouillon recipes, but all of them are tomato based. Coming from a long line of Cajuns from Gueydan, Delcambre, Erath, Lake Charles, Choupique, and New Iberia, etc.. I believe a true courtbouillon is a clear/white based gravy and not tomato based. I know that there are many variations to Cajun recipes like étouffée. Here is MawMaw Ruby’s version. Thanks to MawMaw Broussard in Gueydan, who helped put together this recipe.”
Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onion tops, chopped (scallions)
1 cup water
2 tbsp flour
Tony Cachere’s seasoning to taste
3 pounds catfish (preferably Spotted Ops, but Blue may be substituted if not available. Some people use Gulf Perch)

Directions

Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a #14 cast iron pot, preferably over an open fire outdoors where the smoke from the oak coals can infiltrate the dish with a sweet savory smoke flavor.

Add a thin layer of a mixture of all the vegetables, except the green onions and parsley, to the bottom of the pot.

Follow with a single, loose layer of fish pieces. Sprinkle some of the seasonings and flour over top of the fish.

Repeat the layering process, adding more flour, seasonings and vegetables until there is no more fish left.

Boil, covered, over a very low heat for 30 to 45 minutes.

Add the green onions and parsley and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve over fresh-steamed Louisiana rice.

That is correct. Or perhaps a bouillabaisse. A court-bouillon anywhere others than South LA is a completely different thing. It's just a quick made broth. Nothing like the thick stews you get on the bayou.