Bayou Fish Soup Recipes

CARIBBEAN FISH SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse fish with lemon juice; drain.
• Bring water to a boil in a large bowl. Add fish; simmer until soft, about 30 minutes. Strain fish, reserving broth. Let fish cool. Remove bones, trying to keep large pieces of fish intact.
• Bring broth to a boil. Add green bananas, pumpkin, potatoes, corn, carrots, okra, scallions, chile pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in fish. Simmer until flavors combine, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove soup from heat and let stand before serving, about 30 minutes. Discard chile pepper.

BLEND OF THE BAYOU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, cook and stir cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until melted and smooth. , In a large cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, saute onion, celery and green pepper in remaining butter until tender. Stir in shrimp, crab, soup, rice, mushrooms, garlic salt, pepper sauce, cayenne and cream cheese mixture., Combine cheddar cheese and cracker crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, 25-30 minutes.

NEW ORLEANS-STYLE BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• For the broth: Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp heads and shells and saute a few minutes until starting to brown. Add the celery, bay leaf, leeks, onions and peppercorns; stir for a couple of minutes. Add the herb bundle and cover with the stock, then add the saffron and bring to a simmer. Let bubble gently for about 30 minutes. Strain and reserve.
• For the spicy garlic aioli: Whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, Dijon and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the oil to emulsify. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• For the bouillabaisse: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium to large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the andouille and cook until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the garlic, celery, onions, fennel and bell peppers. Let sweat for 8 to 10 minutes, adding the tomatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the beer and bring to a simmer. Let reduce for a few minutes, then add 2 to 3 cups of the shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Add the redfish and shrimp and let cook through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the crabmeat to heat through. Season with Old Bay and hot sauce and add the andouille back to the pot.
• To serve: Spread the aioli on the toasted baguette slices and divide among four shallow bowls. To each bowl, add three pieces of fish, three pieces of shrimp, some crab and some Andouille. Pour in some of the broth, making sure to include the vegetables in the broth. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

FISH SOUP, CARIBBEAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Wash the fish well to remove any traces of blood. Allow to marinate in the bain Antillais (see above) for one to two hours.
• Heat the oil in a stock pot. Quickly saute all the fish, bones and head (except fillets - reserve them in marinade until the end of the recipe). Add the carrots, leeks, giraumon, igname, turnips and tomatoes. Stir to coat with oil. Add two cups of water and the scallions, thyme, garlic, bay leaf and jalapenos. Simmer over medium heat until the fish is completely cooked and beginning to shred and the vegetables can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife. Strain the soup through a fine mesh. Put the vegetables and fish through a food mill with the fine grill in place. There should be three cups of puree and three cups of liquid (if not, add additional water). Add one cup of liquid to the puree. Stir the tomato concasse and white wine into the puree-liquid mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Pour the remaining liquid into a small saucepan. Bring quickly to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the reserved fish fillets. Cover and allow to steep for five minutes, or until just done. Meanwhile, heat the puree-liquid and ladle into bowls. Divide the fish between six bowls and serve immediately with crusty French bread.

BAYOU SHRIMP SOUP

Steps:

• Cook rice in water as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, garlic, salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.
• Add salsa, clam juice and chiles; mix well. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes.
• In small bowl, combine water and flour; blend until smooth. Add to mixture in skillet; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Serve in bowls, with or without rice.

BAYOU FISH FILLETS

Steps:

• Stir together cornbread mix and Creole seasoning until blended.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper over fillets. Dredge fillets in cornbread mixture.
• Fry fillets in canola oil 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels.

BAYOU FISH SOUP

Steps:

• Cut fish into 1-inch pieces; set aside. Combine broth, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, and Cajun seasoning in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in fish (or shrimp) and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 4-5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork or shrimp turn opaque. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in lemon juice.