| For the story of this recipe, see my blog from May 23, 2011:
Recipe for a Fish Dinner
Martin's Fish in Creole Court-Bouillon
When I asked our Dominican friend Martin Carrierre how he prepared the dorado fillets we gave him from our monster catch, he told me this recipe. In the traditional French-island dish of fish cooked in court-bouillon, the poaching liquid consists of water and seasonings, sometimes including tomatoes and/or a bit of wine. In Martin's Dominican Creole court-bouillon, the liquid is coconut milk with seasonings and a bit of curry, and the result is rich and delicious. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your taste. When Martin gave me the recipe, he didn't provide exact quantities – just the general approach and (as he put it) the "usual" seasonings. I winged it in the galley, and I was delighted with the result. Next time we're lucky enough to catch a dorado (or similar fish), I'll certainly cook some of it Martin's way again.2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2–3 seasoning peppers (or ½ cubanelle pepper), chopped 1–2 stalks West Indian sive (or 1 green onion), chopped 1 heaping tsp curry powder (preferably West Indian) 1 branch fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme) 1 cup coconut milk salt and freshly ground black pepper 3/4–1 lb dorado fillets (or substitute another firm, white-fleshed fish) |
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1. Heat the oil in a pan that is large enough to hold the fillets in one layer. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, and sive or green onion, and cook for a few minutes until softened. 2. Stir in the curry powder and continue to cook for a few minutes longer, stirring frequently. 3. Pour in the coconut milk, add the thyme, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer for 5–10 minutes to combine the flavours. 4. Slip the fish into the liquid, cover, return to a gentle boil, and cook until fish is just done. Serve the fish with some of the cooking liquid on top of rice. Serves 2–3 |