flipFort-de-France Fish Court-Bouillon
Fort-de-France Fish Court-Bouillon
Why this dish? In 1941, fleeing Vichy, Breton made a stopover in Martinique where he met Aimé and Suzanne Césaire; this discovery of the Antilles moved him deeply. Creole court-bouillon, fish simmered in a spicy, lemony sauce, evokes that Caribbean table that opened to him on the road of exile.
Fresh fish marinated in lime then simmered in a tomato sauce flavored with chili, garlic, and Caribbean thyme. A lively, spicy, and tangy dish, the sun of the Martinican stopover.
The stopover in Fort-de-France was a revelation for me, a burst of the marvelous in the midst of Europe's shipwreck. They served me this fish simmered in a fiery sauce, first rubbed with lime—a gesture, they said, that awakens the flesh. The chili, I admit, surprised the Parisian I was, but there was in this cuisine the same insolence as in our poems. Taste it with white rice, and let the light of the Antilles enter your plate.
- •Fresh rock fish — steaks (base of the dish)
- •Lime — juice of (acidic marinade)
- •Tomatoes — ripe (sauce)
- •Garlic, scallion, thyme — to taste (Creole aromatics)
- •Caribbean chili — with measure (heat)
- •Oil — a drizzle (cooking)
Fort-de-France Fish Court-Bouillon
Fresh fish marinated in lime then simmered in a tomato sauce flavored with chili, garlic, and Caribbean thyme. A lively, spicy, and tangy dish, the sun of the Martinican stopover.
Why this dish? In 1941, fleeing Vichy, Breton made a stopover in Martinique where he met Aimé and Suzanne Césaire; this discovery of the Antilles moved him deeply. Creole court-bouillon, fish simmered in a spicy, lemony sauce, evokes that Caribbean table that opened to him on the road of exile.
The stopover in Fort-de-France was a revelation for me, a burst of the marvelous in the midst of Europe's shipwreck. They served me this fish simmered in a fiery sauce, first rubbed with lime—a gesture, they said, that awakens the flesh. The chili, I admit, surprised the Parisian I was, but there was in this cuisine the same insolence as in our poems. Taste it with white rice, and let the light of the Antilles enter your plate.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh rock fish — steaks (base of the dish)
- Lime — juice of (acidic marinade)
- Tomatoes — ripe (sauce)
- Garlic, scallion, thyme — to taste (Creole aromatics)
- Caribbean chili — with measure (heat)
- Oil — a drizzle (cooking)
Ingredients
- Firm fish steaks (sea bream, snapper, pollock) — 800 g (base of the dish)
- Limes — 2 (acidic marinade)
- Ripe tomatoes (or crushed) — 400 g (sauce)
- Garlic — 4 cloves (aromatic)
- Onion and green onion — 1 / 1 bunch (Creole aromatics)
- Thyme — 2 sprigs (flavor)
- Caribbean chili (or cayenne, to taste) — 1/4 to 1, to taste (heat)
- Oil — 3 tbsp (cooking)
Method
- Rub the fish steaks with lime juice and a little crushed garlic, marinate for 20 minutes.
- Sauté onion, garlic, green onion, and thyme in oil.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and the whole chili (to flavor without too much heat), let reduce into a sauce.
- Place the fish steaks in the sauce, add a little water, cover, and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
- Adjust salt and acidity with a splash of lime juice.
- Serve hot with white rice.
How it was made : In the Antilles, fish was always 'limed' before cooking, a hygienic and flavorful practice in the tropical climate. The court-bouillon simmered in an earthenware pot over a wood fire, and the chili, handled with skill, was often left whole to flavor without burning.
The contemporary twist : A touch of grated lime zest and a few raw green onion leaves at plating, to awaken the sauce like a final verse.
André Breton · Charactorium
