Best Court Bouillon Recipe: Easy Caribbean Stew Fish

Depending on what island you are on, it may be called a braf, court bouillon de poisson, guisada or just stew fish. There may be slight variations, but there are versions of this delicious stew fish on every Caribbean island.

However, with that being said, my inspiration for this recipes comes from Dominica, my grandmother’s birthplace. Dominica at one time was a French island. A French based creole is spoken by the people and many dishes are rooted in French cuisine or at least has the influence of French cuisine.

While it may have the same name, what people in France call a court bouillon is quite different. French Court Bouillon is made by making a flavorful vegetable broth infused with bouquet garni and then poaching fish or seafood in the aromatic liquid.

I grew up eating fish every Friday. While we often had fried fish, Court Bouillon or Stew Fish was an alternative that my Mom also made often.

Coming from the Caribbean, she thought buying frozen fish was a strange concept so every Friday she would get fresh fish from the local fish market.

This was one of the strangest things my Mom thought when she first came to the US. Buying meat and fish from a supermarket took my mom many years to get accustomed to. Even as a child when she had already been here for 20+ years, we would go to a live market in New Jersey to get fresh meat. My mother did not trust meat that could have been frozen for months or even years, for all she knew.

One of the things that makes Caribbean food so flavorful is the flavorful base that goes into the pot before cooking almost all of our food.

If you’re from the Spanish speaking Caribbean islands, it’s sofrito. If you’re Haitian, it’s Epis and for the rest of the Caribbean, it’s Green Seasoning.

What is Green Seasoning?

Green Seasoning and all the variations indicated above is a pureed mix of vegetables, herbs and spices with a little olive oil and lime juice or vinegar to preserve it. We always have a jar of it in the fridge.

You can make a big batch once a week or once a month, depending how many people you cook for. It can last in the fridge for several weeks and for longer, simply freeze it.

You will find it at Caribbean markets or grocery stores with good International sections. If not, it is also available at Amazon of you can just make it yourself by using my Green Seasoning Recipe here. Fresh is always best!

Now let’s get to this delicious Court Bouillon recipe!

• any firm white fish (Mahi Mahi, catfish, haddock, king fish)
• green seasoning
• oil
• white or yellow onion
• bell peppers
• garlic
• fresh thyme
• canned diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
• Scotch Bonnet pepper (habanero)
• sugar
• salt
• fresh parsley

• Clean the fish with lime juice or lemon juice and rinse with cold water.
• Marinate fish with the green seasoning.

• Saute onions and peppers until very soft on medium heat..
• Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
• Add Scotch Bonnet, and thyme.
• Add tomatoes, sugar and salt.
• Cover and simmer on medium-low heat.

• Add parsley.
• Spoon the red gravy over the fish and serve.

One of the most delicious fish stews you will ever taste!

Depending on what island you are on, there are different accompaniments to Court Bouillon.

• One of the most popular are savory starch based puddings a la polenta or fufu. The Caribbean has many interpretations of African fufu, including Bajan Cou Cou, funchi, Haitian Tom Tom and Ton Ton. Ton Ton is pounded green plantains made in Dominica.
• Rice and Peas or Haitian Style Rice and Beans
• Green Salad or Sauteed Cabbage

End your delicious Caribbean meal with Caribbean Spice Cake or Coconut Bread Pudding!