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Epicurious

Court Bouillon

Court bouillon, the vegetable and herb broth traditionally used for poaching fish, imparts subtle flavor to the fish as it cooks. The bouillon can be made 2 or 3 days ahead. If preparing the fish the same day, make the bouillon right in the poacher.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 6 quarts

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
1 leek, white and pale-green parts, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds, well washed
2 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 lemon, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
3 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons coarse salt

Preparation

  1. Fit a 10-quart fish poacher with a rack in the bottom, and place the poacher over 2 burners on top of the stove (or use a large stockpot). Fill with 7 quarts water (about three-quarters full). Tie the thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and fennel seeds together in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, and place in the poacher; add the wine, leek, carrots, lemon, bay leaves, and salt. Cover, and bring to a simmer. Uncover; gently simmer for 30 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni. Let the bouillon cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. The bouillon can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

The cookbook cover with a blue background and fine typeface.
Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
TagsStockWhite WineWineAlcoholBeveragesCarrotRoot VegetableVegetableLeekDairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeVeganVegetarianMake AheadEasySimmerCookbooks
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